


Fight for Me

by Deliahscrush2003



Series: Breathe for Me [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anchors, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety Disorder, BAMF Allison Argent, BAMF Erica Reyes, Beacon Hills Lacrosse Team, Camping, Communication, Crushes, Derek Hale Is Getting A Tinsy Bit Better At Feelings, Diners, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Evil Gerard Argent, Evil Victoria Argent, Falling In Love, First Dates, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff and Angst, Good Alpha Derek Hale, Grocery Shopping, Healthy Relationships, Hugs, Humor, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, It's Not Paranoia If They're Really Out To Get You, Kanima Jackson Whittemore, Like Don't Be Shocked, Mental Health Issues, Mild Blood, Mild Gore, Minor Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Multi, Music, Out of Character, POV Derek Hale, POV Isaac Lahey, POV Original Character, Panic Attacks, Plans, Post-it Notes, Protective Isaac Lahey, References to Canon, Romance, Sarcasm, Scheming, Season/Series 02, Secret Relationship, Sexual Tension, Sort Of, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Swearing, Teamwork, Teenagers, The Hale Pack - Freeform, The Wolf Den, Threats of Violence, Training, Werewolf Mates, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:48:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 43
Words: 301,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24031546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deliahscrush2003/pseuds/Deliahscrush2003
Summary: It was on February 20th that Vanessa O’Connor finally understood why Sunday was called ‘Sunday’. It was because when you woke up at ten o’clock in the morning - because that’s the earliest any sane person get’s up at on a weekend - it was immediately apparent to anyone with eyes and shitty curtains that the day was going to be a sunny day. And with sunshine drying up tears and heartache to make way for second chances and new beginnings and all that rainbow shit, it was the perfect day to drive to your friend’s place and return the .50 caliber pistol you stole from her father. Was it really stealing though if you took it from the ground after he was knocked out by an Alpha werewolf and you took it with the intent of protecting his unconscious body from said werewolf?I don’t think so. If Stiles were here, he would say that I commandeered it.
Relationships: Allison Argent & Erica Reyes, Allison Argent & Lydia Martin & Original Female Character(s), Allison Argent & Original Female Character(s), Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Derek Hale & Original Female Character(s), Erica Reyes & Original Female Character(s), Isaac Lahey/Original Female Character(s), Lydia Martin & Original Female Character(s), Lydia Martin/Jackson Whittemore, Original Female Character/Original Female Character, Scott McCall & Stiles Stilinski & Original Female Character(s), Vernon Boyd & Derek Hale & Isaac Lahey & Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes
Series: Breathe for Me [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704037
Comments: 170
Kudos: 93





	1. Little Miss Sunshine (Hella Good Liar)

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is folks, the second part of the Breathe for Me series. I'm hoping for more feedback and hits for this one but don't forget that in order to understand the storyline and all that has led up to what is season 2 of Teen Wolf, you have to read the first part because there have been several changes and most importantly, the introduction of the main and original character Vanessa O'Connor.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanessa spits out lies on the spot, helps a couple of friends out and waits on Derek to get back to her on completing the first of her terms and conditions for their new partnership.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things before reading:  
> \- This chapter has implied/ referenced child abuse so please be warned before reading ahead. The scene is in italics so please be on the look out if you are sensitive or triggered by the scenario.  
> \- I uploaded early because I know that people were looking forward to it so here you go. I was hoping that people would be able to help me out with what direction I should take concerning some characters and their relationship but it seems I will just leave it up to me.  
> Hope ya'll enjoy but please comment down below and leave a kudos x

It was on February 20th that Vanessa O’Connor finally understood why Sunday was called ‘Sunday’. It was because when you woke up at ten o’clock in the morning - because that’s the earliest any sane person get’s up at on a weekend - it was immediately apparent to anyone with eyes and shitty curtains that the day was going to be a sunny day. And with sunshine drying up tears and heartache to make way for second chances and new beginnings and all that rainbow shit, it was the perfect day to drive to your friend’s place and return the .50 caliber pistol you stole from her father. Was it **really** stealing though if you took it from the ground after he was knocked out by an Alpha werewolf and you took it with the intent of protecting his unconscious body from said werewolf? 

_I don’t think so. If Stiles were here, he would say that I commandeered it._

____

After the hectic events that Friday night had to offer, the girl had spent a whole day to recover emotionally – and physically, because she was tired as hell when Derek dropped her home at three o’clock in the morning after their little talk – as well as having to explain why she had gotten hope so late. At first, she thought she could just go with Sarah’s earlier suggestion and say that she slept with Isaac but when Lisa mentioned seeing her car in the hospital parking lot, she had to come up with something terribly clever. 

____

That was how Lisa and Sarah now believed that she and Allison had accompanied Lydia to the hospital before getting dropped off at Allison’s by Jackson because she didn’t feel like going home and instead wanted to relax with her friend from the night’s turn of events. But then the Sheriff’s department called up the Argent’s and told them about finding Kate’s dead body in the Hale house and Vanessa asked to be dropped off at her house on the way which, what with the Argent’s being such nice people, they agreed to. 

____

Vanessa hadn’t heard from the boys all weekend, only aware that Stiles hadn’t left Lydia’s side at the hospital because Lisa couldn’t stop gushing about how cute it was and Scott getting a hair cut from his mom’s social media profile gushing over about her ‘baby boy’ was growing up. She suspected they were still slightly hurt from when she waved a gun in their faces and silently threatened to shoot them if they didn’t head home without her. But what were friends for if they didn’t forgive each other for stuff like that? 

____

She forgave Scott and Stiles for leaving her stranded in the back of Stiles’ jeep while a psychotic, homicidal Alpha werewolf roamed freely outside with her. Vanessa and Stiles forgave Scott for making out with the love of Scott’s life and threatening to kill them. Scott forgave her for kicking him when he was under the influence of the full moon. So, in consideration of the principal that is precedent, Scott and Stiles should eventually forgive her for yelling at them a bit and maybe pointing the gun in their direction for, like, half a second. 

____

The girl pulled into the driveway and hopped out, bounding up with false cheer and knocking on the door. She waited five, very long, minutes until it opened to reveal Allison’s mother. Victoria Argent was terrifying. Vanessa didn’t get the chance to get a full vibe off of her the first time she came around to the house but with the red headed woman glaring at her with fiery eyes, she was definitely getting the ‘ _you’re best friends with the werewolf that made out with my daughter _’ vibe. Which meant that she wouldn’t be getting a warm welcome this morning – which was sad, because it was Sunday after all.__

______ _ _

“Hi, Mrs. Argent,” Vanessa smiled, eyes bright and teeth brighter, “I’m here to see Allison.” 

______ _ _

“She’s not taking any visitors. You can see her when school returns.” 

______ _ _

The scary woman began to shut the door in her face when the girl added, “Than I’m here to see your husband.” 

______ _ _

Victoria gritted her teeth, grounding out, “He is busy making funeral preparations. You might have heard; we recently had a death in the family.” 

______ _ _

“A death that I was there for,” Vanessa pointed out as the Argent matriarch started to twitch in her left eye, “but I’ve come to return something to him. And I’ve come to collect.” 

______ _ _

“Whatever it is, you can give it to me, and I’ll make sure he get’s it. But I want you off my property right now.” 

______ _ _

“I think Mr. Argent will be very interested – and very grateful – for what I have with me,” the girl insisted, determined not to be sent off by this hellish woman. 

______ _ _

“Mr. Argent isn’t the boss here. I am,” Victoria growled, moving to tower over the short brunette with red heels. 

______ _ _

“As much as I’m into this whole female empowerment thing – I’m also into equality. I don’t mind if you’re there when I talk to him, but I guarantee you that he will want to see me.” 

______ _ _

“I don’t give a - “ 

______ _ _

“Victoria?” Vanessa heard a familiar male voice call from inside as Chris Argent appeared in the doorway behind his wife, “Who is it?” 

______ _ _

“Hey, Mr. Argent!” the girl waved cheerily before opening her jacket to reveal the pistol stuck in her waistband with the safety on, “I spent all day trying to figure it out, but I eventually put the safety on. I figured you wanted it back?” 

______ _ _

She drew it out of her jeans, wiping it off with her shirt before offering it to him over his wife’s shoulder. Argent studied her warily before taking it from the girl, “Thank you, Vanessa.” 

______ _ _

“I was also wondering if I could talk to Allison,” she asked, hands behind her back as she stood up straight, “I know that you might be suspicious of me, because of Scott and all, but I promise that I’m here because Allison is genuinely my friend. And I wanted to check up on her and see how she is doing after Friday night.” 

______ _ _

Vanessa inched forward, stopped only by Victoria’s hand across the doorway as she continued saying words in earnest, “Look, I was right beside her when Peter killed Kate. And even though I did not like the woman – she did try to murder my best friend – I did not want her to die. So, can I just talk to Allison for five minutes and see if she needed anything?” 

______ _ _

The red-haired woman went to immediately reject her when Chris stopped her, laying a hand on his wife’s shoulder and murmuring softly, “Let her in.” 

______ _ _

“What? But she’s – “ 

______ _ _

“She is Allison’s friend. And the two can have five minutes to talk _with the door open _.”__

________ _ _ _ _

He said the last part to Vanessa, who nodded at the silent warning and walked inside the house and up the stairs to her friend’s bedroom, knocking on the door gently and waiting for an answer. 

________ _ _ _ _

“I know I can’t actually make you go away by saying it but can I just have five minutes without you checking on me?!” she heard her friend scream back. 

________ _ _ _ _

The girl burst out laughing, opening the door and racing into the room as the dark-haired girl let out a squeal and launched up from the bed to wrap her arms around the short brunette. 

________ _ _ _ _

“God, it feels like a lifetime since I saw you,” Allison mumbled in her shoulder as she squeezed Vanessa tighter. 

________ _ _ _ _

Vanessa nodded in agreement, “Back attcha.” 

________ _ _ _ _

The newcomer pulled back smiling, her eyes softened with concern as she studied her friend, “How are you holding up?” 

________ _ _ _ _

“I was okay yesterday when I met with Scott. I was better than okay actually,” Allison smiled wistfully as the girl beside her smirked, “but now that my father literally put a gun to his head in order to get me to agree not to see him, I feel like everything is crashing down on me.” 

________ _ _ _ _

“Damn,” Vanessa winced, slipping her hand into her friend’s as she asked, “Is there anything I can do?” 

________ _ _ _ _

Allison turned to her and brought her into another hug, this time whispering in Vanessa’s ear, “Get Scott a message for me. Tell him my parents are going out at seven tonight.” 

________ _ _ _ _

Vanessa pulled back, nodding slightly as she responded loudly, “It’s gonna be alright, Allie. You just need to get through one thing at a time.” 

________ _ _ _ _

The dark-haired girl smiled gently, admiring how her friend could cover for her so naturally as she took a seat on the bed, “It’s just with the funeral this Thursday, I feel confused.” 

________ _ _ _ _

“Hey,” the brunette murmured softly, slinging an arm over Allison’s shoulder as she continued, “Do you want some advice for times like these when you don’t know how to feel?” 

________ _ _ _ _

The taller of the two nodded, eyes eager for an answer to cure a conflicted heart. 

________ _ _ _ _

“It’s okay to miss your aunt, to feel sad for her passing. She might have done bad things but that wasn’t the woman you knew. You once told me that she was a badass, strong woman who broke hearts and rules left and right. Who was like a sister to you, making you feel brave and beautiful and having faith that you could do anything you set your mind to if you just wanted it hard enough. It’s okay to mourn the passing of that woman you loved.” 

________ _ _ _ _

As Allison nodded, eyes darting down as if that was only half the problem, Vanessa smiling knowingly before adding, “But it’s also okay to feel angry. To feel like you want to scream at her for the pain she caused, the fear she put in you. For making your heart split when she put a gun to the head of the boy you loved. It’s okay to be angry, to be sad, to be confused and, most importantly, it’s okay to feel. Because emotion, pure emotion, is what keeps us human.” 

________ _ _ _ _

The dark haired girl grinned, shoulders relaxing as if a huge burden was taken off her shoulders. Vanessa wasn’t stupid though. She knew a pep talk wouldn’t get rid of the lingering guilt that stuck to the back of your brain like a parasite, whispering darkly in your ear. 

________ _ _ _ _

That’s why she whispered something that she knew would lighten her friend’s heart, if only by a little bit. 

________ _ _ _ _

“When werewolves first turn, did you know that they need an anchor to control themselves?” she watched as Allison shook her head before grinning, “An anchor is something that grounds them, reminds them that while they’re maybe half wolf, they’re also half human. It can be an emotion, place or even a person. Do you know what Scott’s is?” 

________ _ _ _ _

The girl shook her head again before Vanessa answered, “You. You’re his anchor. His love for you reminds him that he doesn’t have to bend to the wolf’s will, to the primal impulses that rise alongside the full moon. His love for you keeps him grounded, keeps him human. And I think that’s pretty cool.” 

________ _ _ _ _

There were tears welling up in her friend’s eyes as she nodded her head, swiping with her fingers for stray droplets as she croaked out, “I’m really his anchor?” 

________ _ _ _ _

“Better believe it, sister,” Vanessa joked, earning a hearty laugh from the girl. 

________ _ _ _ _

Allison’s laughs were the best. Probably second to Isaac Lahey’s and only just beating Erica Reyes. Isaac’s laugh was the best because she was half in love with the guy and it made her feel like she was flying when his eyes creased at the corners when he lost himself in one of her jokes. Erica’s was third because it was rare to see a genuine laugh from the blonde girl who shied away inside herself than respond with any kind of happiness. When the girl laughed, it was like seeing the sun for the first time after living in darkness for days – people in Alaska would understand. Allison’s laugh, however, was so sweet and innocent and freeing that you couldn’t help but break out in a smile alongside her. 

________ _ _ _ _

The brunette glanced at the clock on the wall and at the shadow hovering in Allison’s doorway before sighing regretfully, “I gotta head out, but I’ll talk to you at school, okay?” 

________ _ _ _ _

“Can’t wait,” Allison beamed at her, getting up and pulling her into another hug as Vanessa whispered back softly. 

________ _ _ _ _

“It’s gonna be hot tonight, leave your windows open.” 

________ _ _ _ _

With the slight squeeze of understanding, Vanessa headed for the door where Chris Argent stood. The girl shut the door behind her before the man could say anything. 

________ _ _ _ _

“Let’s step into my office,” Argent suggested in a way that made it clear it was anything but before leading her down stairs and into another room, gesturing to the seats in front of the desk, “Take a seat. Would you like a drink?’ 

________ _ _ _ _

“No, thank you,” Vanessa shook her head, waving her hands with a polite smile. Argent poured himself an ounce of scotch before settling down in chair behind the desk, taking a sip of the amber liquid before turning to her with a serious look. 

________ _ _ _ _

“I heard what you told Allison about her aunt,” he began, voice wavering slightly before continuing strong, “I just wanted to say that was a nice thing to do. You seem like a very smart girl and a good friend to my daughter.” 

________ _ _ _ _

“I hope I can continue to be,” she responded, the double meaning clear to them both, “I genuinely care for Allison and want nothing but for her to be happy. To live a safe and normal life but unfortunately, that is not going to happen and we both know it.” 

________ _ _ _ _

“No, it’s not going to happen,” the man shook his head in agreement as he fixed her with an icy look, “Not if she’s involved with werewolves.” 

________ _ _ _ _

“She’s going to be involved with werewolves, one way or another,” Vanessa argued, hands clenching in her lap, “I rather she date good werewolves than bad humans.” 

________ _ _ _ _

“A werewolf on his best day is worse than a bad human,” Argent grounded out, taking another sip of his glass as he scoffed at her, “You’re just a child, you don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

________ _ _ _ _

“I’m sorry, sir, but I have to respectfully disagree,” the girl shook her head at him, smiling drily as she explained, “Bad humans are bad all the time. Some drink, some gamble, some cheat, some lie. Some hit the people they love and pretend like nothing happened, driving their victims crazy until they find themselves believing that they’re imagining it. But no, because they don’t furry on a full moon – they’re just a mild nuisance to society.” 

________ _ _ _ _

“A good, honest, kind and sweet werewolf, on the other hand, loses control in his earliest days before finding his anchor and he’s labelled a _rabid dog _. He glows his eyes _once _and you put a bullet in his head – “____

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“We have a code – “ 

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Really?! You have a code?! Where was your _code _when your sister burnt an **innocent** family alive inside their house? Where was your code when you put a gun to Scott’s head and threatened to shoot him if Allison didn’t agree not to see him anymore?! A sixteen-year-old kid who was out with his girlfriend and you put a gun to his head?!” __

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I think it’s time for you to leave,” Victoria’s menacing voice demanded from behind her. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The girl sighed, her anger draining out of her as she got up from her chair and made to head out before she paused. Vanessa glanced behind her with soft eyes and genuine confusion as she asked Argent one more question before leaving. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Where does it say in your code that a boy and a girl can’t be together? Riddle me that, Argent.” 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The red-haired lady followed her out, practically slamming the door on her ass as she was all but pushed out of the house. The girl headed around to the driver’s seat, looking up at her friend’s window to where the dark-haired girl was watching her leave, hand raised as their eyes met and sad smiles said goodbye before Vanessa hopped into her car and pulled out of the driveway. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

When she got home, she took a deep breath and sent a text to Scott that would hopefully make up for any lingering resentment he might have towards her. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**VANESSA: _Allison’s parents are heading out at seven. Her windows will be open. Forgiven?_**

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The girl’s phone beeped a minute later, a relieved smile spreading across her face as she read his reply. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**SCOTT: _Thanks for the heads up. Don’t worry about it 😊 Are you okay though?_**

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**VANESSA: _If u mean did Derek try to kill me? No. I’m all good._**

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**SCOTT: _Good. Ttyl._**

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**VANESSA: _Any advice on how to get back on Stiles’ good side?_**

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**SCOTT: _Give him something to solve?? Get Lydia to go on a date with him?? Good luck._**

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Vanessa sighed, throwing her phone in her purse before heading inside while she muttered smiling faintly, “Thanks for nothing, asshole.” 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Almost twelve hours later when her phone rang, Scott’s caller ID on the phone. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hello?” 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“We’re out front.” 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She looked out her window and saw Stiles’ jeep sitting at the end of the driveway, a happy grin splitting her face as she chirped back, “Be right out.” 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Vanessa raced down the stairs, throwing open her door and yelling out to her moms’ that she was going out with friends as she closed the door behind her before running over to the car and getting in, coming face to face with Allison. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“How the hell did you get out of jail?” 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I told my parents I wanted to check on Lydia.” 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Which brings us to why we’re here,” Scott interrupted the girls, leaning over the front seat and explained, “Lydia's missing.” 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Missing? How is she missing when Stiles was literally slept at the bottom of her hospital bed like a dog all weekend?!” Vanessa exclaimed, gesturing to the driver who hadn’t spoken to her since she got into the jeep. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Until now. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hey, she was in the shower when she disappeared! I couldn’t exactly follow her in there!” Stiles argued before shooting back, “And you’re lucky that I let you in this jeep after what you pulled on Friday!” 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What’s he talking about?” Allison asked in confusion. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Vanessa sighed at him, making up a lie as she said, “I shot him if that makes you feel any better!” 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

There was silence in the front seat as Scott glanced at her from the review mirror, catching her eyes in a way that told her he knew she was lying but wasn’t going to say anything because he wanted them all to be friends again. He got his wish a minute later when Stiles began laughing, punching the air with his fist as he turned back to ask hopefully. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“In the head?” 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“ ** _What?!_ No!**” the girl scrunched up her face in horror as she asked hesitantly, “Do you actually think I’m capable of that?” 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“ _Ab-so-lut-ely _,” Stiles muttered before rolling his eyes at the incredulous looks he was given before, asking again, “Where _did _you shoot him?”____

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“In the leg!” Vanessa cried out, watching as the boy seemed to deflate in disappointment. 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I feel like I’m missing something,” the dark-haired girl beside Vanessa whispered to her secret boyfriend in the front. 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh, Nessa went back to Derek’s house with your dad’s gun. We tried to stop her, she pointed it at us and told us to go home before walking back into the forest,” Scott explained quickly. 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Allison nodded, leaning back as her eyes darted nervously to her friend beside her. The girl, having overheard Scott’s shitty explanation, turned to the girl to explain her version of events. 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I went back to find out what he was planning! And you’re lucky I did,” she pointed out to the boys in front, “because I saw Jackson leaving with a fresh bite wound to the side just as I arrived.” 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“ **WHAT?!** ” the boys shouted, Stiles’ accidentally swerving hard before righting the jeep as Scott cried, “He bit Jackson?!” 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Out of all the dumbass lacrosse players to choose from,” Stiles muttered to himself before waving his hands, “Okay, one thing at a time, please. Let’s find Lydia before we move onto our other problem child of the evening.” 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So, your dad left the house with a hunting party?” Scott asked Allison, continuing the conversation they were having before they picked up Vanessa. 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Alright, but if she’s turning, would they actually kill her?” Stiles questioned worriedly. 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I don’t know. They won’t tell me anything, okay!” the dark-haired girl exclaimed, throwing her hands up as she explained, “All they say is ‘we’ll talk after Kate’s funeral when the others get here’?” 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What others?” 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I don’t know, they won’t tell me that, either.” 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Okay, you’re family’s got some serious communication issues to work on,” Stiles pointed out before yelling out to Scott, whose head was sticking out of the window’s like a dog as he scented the air around him, “Scott, are we going the right way?” 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Take the next right!” the boy shouted out as the boy in the driver’s seat scrambled to follow the direction. 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Vanessa, however, was in the backseat mulling over Allison’s words when a light bulb the size of America went off in her head, a thought that was so plainly obvious she felt stupid for not realizing it sooner as she told her friend’s out loud, “The others must be referring to backup. You and your dad saw Derek become the Alpha like the rest of us – that’s bound to cause concern. So, the rest of your family is coming to help take down what they think is the new big bad wolf.” 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What do you mean think? Derek is the big bad wolf. Always has been,” Stiles said snidely, scrunching up his nose from the front seat as they headed for the Hale house where the owner, unbeknownst to most of the teenagers, was watching Isaac Lahey, who currently working. \- 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_After Vanessa dropped him off at the winter formal, the boy had steeled himself for a night of never-ending suffering, expecting to be dropped into that dark, cramped, icy cold freezer that held him captive in his nightmares and not being let out until the morning. It was worse than he could imagine._

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_He had walked into the dimly lit kitchen his father had sat in the whole evening, nursing a beer and a nasty smirk as his eyes darted to the gloss shining on his son’s lips as he had grumbled sarcastically, “Had fun with that girl of yours?”_

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_“Dad – “_

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_“You disobeyed me, boy. You know what happens when you disobey me,” the man had shaken his head as if he had no choice but to discipline his son, as if it was all the boys fault when he launched the glass bottle into the sink and lunged up from his chair._

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Isaac didn’t move fast enough to dodge his father and the man had shoved him into the wall. The room had spun, eyes glazing over in shock before his father reared back his meaty fist and sent it into his face. The boy couldn’t help it, having letting out a scream of pain as his father’s knuckles bony knuckles dragged the inside of his eye socket before he had been dropped to the floor like trash the man didn’t feel like taking out that night._

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_“You know what to do,” the old man grunted before he had walked up the stairs to his room._

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_The boy had known that if he didn’t do what he was told, his father would have just come back down and dragged him by his neck. He saved himself an extra beating by taking himself down, coming face to face with the black box that held his hell. That night, Isaac didn’t bother trying to escape and instead wrapped his arms around himself, eyes shutting as he had struggled to breathe. His only solace was the memory of those blue eyes that warped his mind, windows to a beautiful soul he had rather been held captive in than an empty, cold box in an even colder house._

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Now, two days later, he sported a black eye that throbbed with a headache that had been killing him the entire weekend. An entire weekend he had been assigned graveyard duty when he wasn’t studying or at lacrosse practice, since those were the only two places, he was allowed to go that didn’t run the risk of getting another night in the freezer. Although, with his father’s increasingly bad mood, anything could trigger that punishment. Even breathing too loud, something he had tried to work on late at night for fear that his father might hear and get annoyed. 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Of course, just as he was blue in the face and about to pass out, he heard a voice in his head. 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Her voice._

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Breathe for me. Breathe for me. Breathe for me._

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He hadn’t talked to her since Friday night, since he kissed her hard and left her in the car crying. It was the hardest thing he ever had to do, walk away from her and towards his dad, the freezer willingly. He thought about her the entire weekend, when he was in the box, when he was in his room. He had even dreamt of her the night before. Of waking up in her bedroom, her grinning down at him as the morning sun lit behind her as she said something witty that made his heart warm. She would then lean down and kiss him, his fingers threading through her soft, brown curls before his father’s heavy stomps would send him flying out of bed and racing to get dressed. 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Isaac pressed lightly against the bruising around his eye, lips curling up as he thought about what Vanessa would say if she saw him. Probably something like, quit touching it, it’ll make it sting worse. 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Would she even want him when they got back to school? 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Was Friday the first and last time he would ever get to be with Vanessa O’Connor? 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Because as much as he **hatedWorld’s Worst Fears List**_ **.**

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Just as the boy turned back to digging, a creak echoed throughout the silent cemetery, drawing his attention away so that he could peer through the darkness to see if someone was out there with him. If there was a late comer, he had to warn them to avoid the machinery. He didn’t want his father going off at him for getting sued because some idiot waltzed into the hole he was digging. 

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The sound of footsteps running to his right had him turning the digger around so that the headlights shined on the direction the noise was coming from. He frowned, spinning around again as the sound of leaves being brushed away came from his left. He noticed something move behind one of the tombstones and squinted, making out something that looked like a human hand with long, pointed nails grip the hard stone before disappearing behind it. 

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What the hell?” he breathed out, leaning forward as chills ran up his spine. 

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Am I imagining things?_

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Fast footsteps came from his right once more, Isaac turning just as whatever it was pushed at the digger. The boy leapt up from his seat, clutching the metal on the side as the machinery was tipped onto it’s side. He felt his fingers loosen as his body dropped into the open grave he had been working on. Isaac’s hands went to cover his head as shard of glass dropped onto him before he scrambled up against the side of the dirt wall, his eyes desperately searching for a way out before they widened when he realized the digger effectively blocked most of the hole. 

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

As he whipped his head around, the walls seemed to move in on him, becoming too similar to the enclosed space sitting back at home. It was too dark, too dirty, too small for him. The air in his lungs began to close up as his fingers dug into the walls surrounding him, as if he could keep the walls from closing in by stopping it with his hand. 

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

It turned out, his claustrophobia wasn’t his only concern as the thing that attacked the digger leapt over it from the top, snarling in a way that made Isaac almost prefer to stay in the hole. When he decided to peak through the gap between the ground and the twisted machinery, he saw the creature digging up a grave with it’s bare hands, flinging dirt behind it as it went. He dropped down immediately, gasping slightly in disbelief because it almost looked human. 

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He continued to listen to it growl animalistically when the noise he was making suddenly turned into a high-pitched whimper, like a dog being kicked in the stomach. A moment later, a deeper, louder growl erupted, and he felt his heart stop in his chest as the dipper began to be lifted slowly from the hole. Footsteps moved slowly towards the entrance as a young man with dark hair and imperceptible eyes appeared, looking down at him in mild amusement. 

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Need a hand?” he asked, before kneeling down and extending his own. 

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Isaac sank down into the corner of the grave, terror flashing across his eyes. Whoever this man was, the boy knew deep down inside, he was responsible for that loud growl. 

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Come on, Isaac,” the man called down, rolling his eyes as he beckoned to him with his fingers, “I don’t bite.” 

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The ‘ _not yet_ ’ went unsaid for both of them as the boy considered him for a moment before taking the man’s hand, the stranger pulling him up with an ease that shook Isaac to his very core. The boy crawled out of the grave before getting to unsteady feet, very slowly. His eyes took in the man standing before him with a confident smirk and he felt envy stab him in the pits of his stomach. 

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“How do you know my name?” the boy stammered as he straightened up, shoulders slouched as he looked around for the other creature. 

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I have an offer for you,” the stranger smiled, stepping forward, “I’m offering to make you stronger, faster and harder to hurt. Strong enough that whoever gave you that black eye will think twice before doing it again. And if they do try, you’ll find that what I’m offering will make it so that you won’t go down for very long.” 

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Are you talking about a drug?” 

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No,” the stranger smirked, de ju vu ticking their mind as their eyes flickered bright red before he answered, “I’m offering you a _gift._ ”

_____________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	2. Organs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “She ate the liver?”  
> “No, I didn’t say she ate it. Just said it was _missing_. And you know what, even if she did, _so what?_ It’s the most nutritious part of the body!”  
> “I’m sorry,” Vanessa spoke up loudly from behind them, making them both jump in surprise as they had genuinely no idea she had arrived, “you think Lydia Martin is roaming graveyards now and stealing internal organs from dead bodies.”  
> “Yes, child of Satan,” Stiles snarked back.  
> “Sounds more like Lydia’s title now,” she retorted, before Scott interrupted them.  
> “I never ate anyone’s liver.”  
> “Yeah, right, cause’ when it comes to werewolves, you’re a real model of self-control.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because of the first comment I had the pleasure of waking up to, I decided that my first task this morning was to ditch home-schooling (I hate Math anyway) and upload the next chapter!
> 
> Hope you enjoy x

On the other side of the woods that surrounded the cemetery, four teenagers got out of a blue jeep as they warily approached the house they had all but ran away from only two nights ago. It was eerily silent except for the crickets that chirped in silent places and the leaves that broke under their worn-out chucks. 

“She came _here_?” Stiles cringed as he looked back at his best friend to confirm this really was the right spot, “Are you sure?” 

“Yeah, this is where the scent leads,” Scott replied, eyes darting between Stiles and the house behind him as he hovered particularly close to the girl beside him. 

They started moving slowly once more before the boy in front turned to those behind him again to ask, “But has Lydia ever been here?” 

“Not with me,” Allison answered, shaking her head as she looked around the surrounding trees for any sign of a threat. 

“Derek hadn’t mentioned her ever being here,” Vanessa chimed in, hands rubbing at her arms to fend herself against the February chill. 

“Maybe, she came here on instinct,” Allison suggested quietly to Scott, “Like she was looking for Derek.” 

“You mean…,” Scott murmured, “Looking for an Alpha.” 

“Wolves need a pack, right?” 

“Not all of them,” the boy whispered back, referring to himself. 

“But would she have been drawn to an Alpha? Or is it instinct to be part of a pack?” 

Scott turned to her, frowning slightly as he shrugged, nodding, “Yeah, we’re stronger in packs.” 

“Like strengths in numbers,” Allison nodded at him. 

“No,” the boy shook his head before he corrected her, “No, like literally, stronger, faster, better in every way.” 

“That the same for an Alpha?” 

Scott nodded again as he turned his attention to the house, “Yeah, it’ll make Derek stronger too.” 

Stiles scraped at the ground behind them, looking for clues when his eyes caught on a wire on the ground in front of him. Vanessa saw it too and her eyes widened as she placed a hand on his shoulder to pull him back as the boy turned to call over Scott and Allison, “Ooh, hey, look at this. You see this? I think it’s a tripwire.” 

Allison knelt down next to him to inspect it as Scott moved to keep watch when Stiles tripped it, Vanessa shouting for him to wait a second to late as the sound of a contraption being triggered echoed through the air. 

“Stiles,” Scott uttered, tone on the edge of warning. 

“Yeah, buddy?” all three of them turned around to find Scott hanging from his ankle. 

Vanessa burst out laughing, holding onto her stomach as Scott warned their best friend that next time he sees a tripwire, not to trip it. Allison giggled on the other side of the boy who was chuckling nervously to himself as he searched for a way to get their friend down. Just as all three of them approached the hanging boy with humorous smiles, Scott held up his hands telling them to wait as he cocked his head the way werewolves do when they could hear something humans couldn’t. 

Vanessa felt her own smile drop as he announced, “Someone’s coming. Hide!” 

The three looked around, trying to see if anyone was approaching when Scott’s urgently waved them on, “Go!” 

They turned tail and ran, glancing behind them to watch as their friend tried to get himself loose of the trap. Stiles pulled them behind a tree, Vanessa pressed in front of the two as she was the shortest before they heard a familiar voice break out in the previously silent forest. 

“Scott, what are you doing out here?” 

“Looking for my friend,” they heard the boy replied earnestly as Argent chuckled. 

Vanessa noticed Allison winced at the sound of father’s voice and laid a calming hand on her friend’s arm as she peered around the tree. 

“Ahh, that’s right. Lydia’s in your group now, isn’t she? Part of the clique?” Argent asked, sounding as if he was trying the word out on his tongue and wasn’t quiet getting it right, “Is that the word you use? Or is there another way to put it? Part of your _ **pack**_?” 

“Actually, clique sounds about right to me,” Scott corrected. 

“I hope so,” Argent replied, “Because I know she’s a friend of Allison’s, and one special circumstances, such as yourself. One I can handle. Not two.” 

“What?” Vanessa breathed out, before Allison’s hand slid over her mouth. 

They were supposed to have a fucking code! They couldn’t just kill off kids because they couldn’t handle underage werewolves roaming around. They were people too! This motherfucking asshole is so lucky this his daughter was still present otherwise she would go right on over there and rip him a new one. He spouted to her about having a code but when push comes to show, he’d be just as willing to gun down a bunch of kids because he lacked education. If the kids had an Alpha who could teach them control, teach them to seek out an anchor, then the hunters wouldn’t need to worry about any more attacks and could turn their focus on hunting power hungry psychos like Peter was. 

“No,” she heard Scott whisper, frantic worry in his breath. 

“Scott, do you know what a hemicorporectomy is?” Argent asked and Vanessa had the distinct feeling he was going into one of his ‘rabid dog’ moments. 

“I have a feeling I don’t want to.” 

“A medical term for amputating somebody at the waist,” the man answered, and Vanessa felt her stomach drop when he continued, “Cutting them in half.” 

_Like Laura Hale._

“It takes a tremendous amount of strength to cut through tissue and bone like that. Let’s hope a demonstration never becomes necessary.” 

That silent threat rang through the air for all of them as the hunters walked away back into the forest. Vanessa and the others inched out from behind the tree they were hiding behind and hurried over to Scott. 

“You okay?” Allison asked, inspecting her boyfriend. 

“Just having another life-threatening conversation with your dad,” the boy replied in an attempt to be nonchalant. 

As if every girl’s father threatened to cut their boyfriends in half. It made Vanessa grateful she had two moms instead. 

“Stiles, help me with this,” Allison asked, eyes catching on tree where the wire was tied to. 

Vanessa knelt down beside Scott’s hanging head, “How are you holding up, buddy?” 

“Just great, Ness. Just – “the werewolf’s claws came out as he slashed the wire above him, landing back on his feet with a cheeky smile, “Great.” 

“Asshole,” the girl hissed, shoving him as she exclaimed, “Why didn’t you do that earlier?” 

“I was curious. I wanted to know what the hunters were up to.” 

“Of course, that was worth risking getting cut in half but whatever,” Vanessa muttered to herself as they continued heading towards the house, heads whipping around at every sound and faces cringing at ever sound they made. 

The girl secretly knew they had nothing to worry about, knowing exactly what Derek was doing and where he was doing it. But she couldn’t exactly tell her friends she was all goody goody with their self-proclaimed enemy. Or that she was helping the guy turn kids into werewolves. While Argent’s chat with Scott rattled her bones, there were people that would rather face a hundred hunters than face what they did daily. And maybe, just maybe, if one of those people thought they could have the strength to fight back against their demons, they would think they would have the strength to finally leave them. 

Scott had only ever known what was bad about being a werewolf - or being a monster, as he put it self-disparagingly. He only saw it as a curse, the enhanced power and healing nothing more than a barrier between him and the girl he loved. But not every kid was dating a fucking werewolf hunter and to them, it would be an actual gift to have the strength, speed and senses to finally have their shot of a decent life. If she had genuinely thought that Derek would leave them high and dry for the hunters, she would have actually shot the man that Friday night. But she could tell that her words had been taken in by him, especially about his mother. 

The kids searched the house for hours before determining that their friend wasn’t there. They had even gone down to the cellar where Derek had been held by Kate but found no evidence of anyone having been there since last Friday. So, they all piled back into the jeep and drove back to the main road, eyes peeled for a red headed girl that might actually be walking around the woods naked. They all felt disappointment and fear weigh down on their hearts when they didn’t see any sign of her as the main road came to ahead and the sun started to rise in the distance. 

“Alright,” Scott sighed, turning to the rest of them from the front seat of the jeep, “We’ll try to see if the police have had any luck but until then, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow night to go back out again.” 

“This will probably be the only time I can come out, but I’ll let you guys know if my dad finds out anything,” Allison reassured them before asking Stiles to drop her off down the street from her place. 

Vanessa’s phone beeped in her pocket and as she read the text, both a frown and a smile warred with her place as she tried to make sense of it. 

**DEREK: _It’s done. Get to the cemetery. Need to talk._**

She sat back in her chair, worry fraying at her mind as she thought of all the things that might have gone wrong. Why would he ask to see her there? Did something go wrong with Isaac? Was he hurt? Oh, fucking god if he got hurt because of her, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself! 

The girl sat, bouncing her knee impatiently as they dropped Allison off, the girl promising to see them at school in an hour before sprinting off to her house. Vanessa sat in the back silently as the boys passed theories back and forth before pulling up in her driveway. 

“I’ll see you guys later,” she waved before pausing, adding hurriedly, “And I am really sorry about how I acted on Friday. I was tired and pissed off and you know how I get.” 

“Hey! If you shot Derek, you’re kind of like my favourite person in the world right now,” Stiles laughed. 

Her and Scott exchanged a look that promised they would be having a conversation later before she grinned good naturedly and blew the boy in the driver’s seat a kiss, “Aw, shucks. See you!” 

Vanessa turned on her heel and began walking up the driveway, only breaking into a run when she heard the sound of the jeep start up again and head down the road. She opened the door, surprised to find a quiet and empty home. Frowning, she shook off the bad feeling that started to seep into her stomach and got changed into a pair of jeans and a black, vee neck sweater before making herself a coffee to keep her from crashing halfway through the day and walked out to her car. The sun was now up, and it was about thirty minutes before school started when she pulled up down the road from the cemetery. Bundled up in an oversized olive-green bomber jacket, she almost jerked back at the sight of squad cars all lined up outside in the parking lot. 

_So, this was where Sarah was this morning. Wait, why were the police here?_

The girl inched around the outskirts of the cemetery; eyes fixated on where the Sheriff was talking to two familiar males. One of whom, was Isaac Lahey. Her heart started beating pathetically faster at the sight of the boy she hadn’t seen all weekend and who had left her with nothing but worry when he disappeared down the road towards his house after giving her a sad kiss goodbye. The boy now stood tall and handsome as ever but with a black bruise around his eye that stood out even from as far as where she stood away from them. Just as Vanessa’s fingers curled up into fists she wanted to let fly into Mr. Lahey’s face, an iron grip settled on her wrist as Derek’s voice came to whisper in her ear. 

“There’s deputies everywhere, Nessa. Did you really think going up and punching the old man would be smart?” 

“No, but then again it would make me feel better,” she retorted, shooting a glare at the old man from across the cemetery and instead capturing his son’s eyes as they widened at the sight of her standing there, talking to the man he now knew as Derek Hale. He made the connection a second later, of how Derek knew his name, why Derek would choose him to give the bite to. It was because of her. 

Vanessa felt her heart melt and mouth drop open as her brain lagged on her. God, he was too beautiful. And he looked at her like she was beautiful - and like a million little pieces of a puzzle he had been trying to solve for hours now had fallen into place and she knew that he knew. 

Derek, still with his hand wrapped around her wrist, dragged her out of sight as the Sheriff went to follow Isaac’s line of sight but found nothing in the forest behind them. 

“I know now why you wanted me to choose him,” Derek began, smirking slightly at her frazzled look, “How long have you been in love with him?” 

“Shut the fuck up, Derek!” she hissed before attempting to wrench her hand out of his grip, “Just tell me what happened here so I can go to fucking school.” 

“Quiet,” he snapped back, tilting his head as he listened to the Sheriff finish up his questioning before explaining, “I went to the cemetery to turn your boyfriend but instead found an omega roaming the place.” 

“An omega?” she repeated, frowning slightly as she asked, “Do you know if they’re local or out of town?” 

“I don’t know, Ness,” Derek grunted out as he rolled his eyes, “I was too busy trying to save Isaac to stop and ask.” 

“Oh, shut up,” Vanessa rolled her eyes back at him, “So, what was the omega doing?” 

“He was stealing organs it seems. A liver this time.” 

The girl scoffed, wincing slightly, “I feel sorry for whoever’s body got mauled on.” 

“ **Don’t** ,” the man behind her said, cold satisfactory tinging his tone as he continued, “She deserved it.” 

“ _She?_ ” Vanessa frowned before realization hit her like a truck, “Kate Argent?” 

“As I said, she deserved it.” 

The short brunette nodded, before changing the subject abruptly, “Have you seen Lydia Martin lately?” 

“I heard she was missing,” Derek replied vaguely, not exactly answering the question, “Why?” 

“Because we tracked her down to your house last night and we weren’t the only ones.” 

“ **What**?” the werewolf growled down at her, “What the hell, Vanessa?” 

“Scott tracked her scent all the way to your house before getting caught up in a trap.” 

“Shit,” the man muttered, shaking his head before questioning her, “What happened?” 

“Argent came out of the woods. Threatened him a little before backing off. Your house isn’t safe now, Derek. You need to find someplace where you can lay low that’s also big enough to house your pack.” 

Derek nodded in agreement before turning away, “You better go, or you’ll be late.” 

“Let me know if you need anything,” Vanessa replied before walking off, pausing only when he called back to her. 

“Ness,” he began, sighing like he didn’t want to say it but felt like he had to, “Thanks again.” 

She nodded, smirking slightly before continuing on her way back to her car and heading to the school. Five minutes before first bell, she pulled up beside Stiles’ jeep and jogged over to where the two boys were heading inside. 

“Hey,” she greeted, slightly out of breath as she sipped the last remainder of her coffee. 

The two boys ignored her as they were discussing what Stiles had found out from his dad that morning. 

“She ate the liver?” 

“No, I didn’t say she ate it. Just said it was _missing_. And you know what? Even if she did, _so what_? It’s the most nutritious part of the body!” 

“I’m sorry,” Vanessa spoke up loudly from behind them, making them both jump in surprise as they had genuinely no idea she had arrived, “you think Lydia Martin is roaming graveyards now and stealing internal organs from dead bodies.” 

“Yes, child of Satan,” Stiles snarked back. 

“Sounds more like Lydia’s title now,” she retorted, before Scott interrupted them. 

“I never ate anyone’s liver.” 

“Yeah, right, cause’ when it comes to werewolves, you’re a real model of self-control.” 

“No, seriously though,” Vanessa shook her head, “I don’t think it was Lydia. I think it’s another omega, one that’s older.” 

“How do you know that?” Scott asked, taking in her guilty look, “Oh, please don’t say Derek.” 

“ _ **WHAT?**_ ” Stiles shrieked, stopping in his tracks to look at the girl behind him, “ **YOU’RE STILL TALKING TO DEREK?** Didn’t you shoot him?” 

“Yeah, I forgot to mention that I shot him by _accident_ ,” Vanessa mumbled out another lie, running a hand through her hair nervously as she rushed to explain, “but now, I have an in with him. So, everything that Derek knows, we now know.” 

“I don’t wanna know everything Derek knows,” Scott cried out. 

“Serious, that guys twisted. Imagine all the dark stuff he thinks about in that sour-wolf brain of his,” Stiles spat out, scrunching up his face. 

“Hey,” Vanessa snapped, crossing her arms over her chest defensively, “At least you now know that your childhood crush isn’t out there mauling corpses for their livers!” 

“No, my childhood crush could be out there dead in the woods!” 

She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she smirked, “You’re in love with the girl, Stiles! You, out of everyone, should know that Lydia Martin wouldn’t let herself die in the middle of the woods. She’s got plans, that girl has, and there’s no way a dirty, dark forest is getting in the way of those plans.” 

Stiles went silent as he considered her words, before nodding reluctantly, “You have a point.” 

“Thank you,” she replied smartly. 

The boy had apparently ran with the idea Scott proposed earlier as he halted them in their tracks, “Actually, wait, hold on – you’re the test case for this, so we should be going over what happened to you.” 

“What do you mean?” Scott scrunched up his face in confusion. 

“I mean, like, what was going on through your mind when you were turning, you know? What were you drawn to?” 

Scott’s brown eyes flickered down as he thought about it and Vanessa sighed, knowing exactly what his answer would be before he even said it. Because honestly, it was Scott’s answer to anything. She pitied the teachers who gave him tests because she wouldn’t be surprised if Scott one day gave them back a paper with the girl’s name covering it inch by inch. 

“Allison.” 

Stiles’ eye started to twitch as he prompted their friend to stop thinking with his di – heart, she meant heart, “Okay, nothing else? Seriously?” 

“Nothing else mattered.” 

The boy with the buzz cut nodded with a face that clearly thought their friend was being fucking stupid before Scott went to defend his answer, “But, no, that’s good though, right? Because the night that Lydia was bit, she was with you.” 

“Yeah,” Stiles sighed before he adjusted the lacrosse stick strap on his shoulder, “But she was looking for…. Jackson.” 

He waved his hands at the silver Porsche that was pulling up in the carpark. The boy in question hopped at with sunglasses on and looking like a million bucks as he smirking in satisfaction to himself. Was that a fucking scarf? That seemed a bit _suggestive_ , but she didn’t want to jump to conclusions just yet. Just because the guy had suddenly appeared to look too good to be straight, it didn’t mean anything. Especially since she had no room to be making judgements about anyone’s sexuality. 

“Don’t you guys have practice this morning?” Vanessa asked, drawing their attention away from watching Jackson strut into school. 

“Shit, Coach is gonna have our ass!” Scott exclaimed, pulling Stiles into the building alongside him as she watched grinning. 

She made to follow them when a hand landed on her arm, warm and able to send butterflies flying to her stomach before she could even turn to look at him. 

“Vanessa,” he whispered, turning her around so that he could look at her. 

The girl heard her name on his lips and sprung up into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck as she buried her face in his chest, murmuring frantically, “I’m so glad you’re okay.” 

“You know, don’t you?” 

She froze in his arms, lifting her head slowly so she could look in his eyes. Those deep-set blue eyes didn’t glare down at her in hatred or judgement, nor did they spark with bitterness and resentment. They gazed down at her softly with adoration, like they always seemed to do but she didn’t realize until that Friday night. And gratitude. 

Vanessa nodded slowly before being pulled towards him as his lips slid on top of hers and pressed a chaste kiss there. It was a kiss of thanks, for sending Derek to him to give him the bite. For her, it was a kiss of hello, a softer, gentler kiss than the last one he had given her. A happier one. 

“You have to go to practice,” she whispered as she pulled back, eyes locked longingly on his mouth. 

“I know. I just wanted to say thanks. I know you’re the reason he came for me and I want you to know that I’m going to get out of there. I’m not going to let my father throw me around and I’m never getting in that freezer again,” he promised her, before pulling her in for one last kiss before he had to go. 

Her hands ran up his sides before Isaac pulled back wincing. He pulled back a bit to lift his shirt where a fresh bite was revealed. Vanessa’s eyes widened before she hastily pulled his shirt back down, head turning frantically as she hurriedly rushed to warn him, “You can’t do that.” 

“I know, Derek told me about the hunters,” he nodded, rubbing her arm reassuringly as he apologized, “I’m sorry, I forgot.” 

She nodded, smiling faintly, “It’s fine. I shouldn’t have touched you there. It hasn’t healed yet.” 

Vanessa peered up at his eyes before grinning brightly, fingers tracing the ridge of his brow and the curve of his cheek bone as she whispered softly, “It looks like that shiner has though.” 

“Really?” the boy went to check in the window and saw that his skin was unblemished. 

“Did that,” Vanessa began nervously, eyes fluttering down, “did that happen on Friday?” 

Isaac stilled, shoulders tensing slightly before he reached a hand out to hold hers, “I’m okay. It wasn’t your fault.” 

“I just wish you had come home with me.” 

His hand went to cradle her face, unable to resist the urge to press another kiss to her forehead as he murmured, “I do too.” 

The girl sighed in content, wanting nothing more than to just stay like that with him forever. But she knew that they couldn’t do that. She knew that between school, friends, werewolves and hunters, there would never be a forever when it came to feeling peace. 

The short brunette smiled away the dark thoughts that gathered like rain clouds before shooing him away, “Go. You’ll be late and I don’t want you getting in trouble with Coach. But make sure to cover your bite!” 

“I will. I’ll probably get changed before I head there anyway,” Isaac reassured her before turning to walk away, glancing behind him to give her a smile and a wave that almost had the girl melting right then and there. 

First and second period went by in a blur as she travelled out of class with dreamy look on her face, smiling brightly when she saw that Scott was peaking around the corner of the hall to watch as Allison pulled out a dress from her locker. Vanessa had to admit, the boy might have the girl as a default for everything he did and said but he could make up for it by showing the girl herself how devoted he was to her. She was about to go over and tease the girl for it when a pair of whispers caught her attention. 

“Not her sister, her aunt. The one who murdered all those people.” 

“You mean the crazy bitch who killed all those people?” 

“Yeah, the fire, all those animal attacks – it was her aunt.” 

“Are you kidding?” 

Vanessa saw her friend listening in, a grief-stricken look appearing on her beautiful face as she heard every word the gossipers were saying. The short brunette had her own experience with whispers, and while she didn’t like it when people talked about her behind her back, she much rather they did that than torment her friends. It was time to teach some people that talking shit behind people’s backs was in bad taste. 

The girl appeared in front of the two girls a second later, her leg kicking out in the middle of the two and letting out a loud bang that drew the attention of everyone in the hall. 

“What’s up, ladies?” Vanessa asked with a sharp smile as she stuck her hands in her pockets to do her best Derek Hale impression, “Wanna share with us what you were talking about?” 

“We were just – “ 

“I know what you were just fucking doing and if you don’t want your tongues ripped out of your throat, I suggest you _shut the fuck up_ and get to class.” 

“Hey!” the girl on the left shouted, hands on her hips as she got up in the brunette’s face, “You can’t talk to me like that!” 

“You’re right I can’t,” Vanessa sighed, looking like she was going to turn away before she lunged at the girl. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist before she could mess up the girl’s face so that what happened to Peter Hale would look like goodnight kisses compared to the plastic surgery case she would make of the girl. 

“Easy,” Scott eased her back, glaring at the girls with dark, dangerous eyes as he growled out, “They’re not worth it.” 

“You’re right,” Vanessa snarled, hands swiping at the air in front of her as she replied back with a snarl, “but God, would it feel nice.” 

“See! Even her friends are psychos,” the girl who was ballsey enough to shout at Vanessa said as Scott’s hands had loosened from around his friend’s waist. The girl took advantage of her sudden freedom and turned to show the girl how psychotic she could get with just her bare hands and a mouthy bitch when her best friend stepped in front of her. 

“You’re lucky that I’m a nice guy otherwise I would let her go,” he murmured quietly, before adding a threat onto the end, “But if I hear another word against either of them, I won’t hold her back next time.” 

The girl’s eyes widened at him before they headed off to class, looking behind them and whispering some more. Vanessa sighed in disappointment before a hand settled on her shoulder. Allison’s teary eyes gazed down on the short brunette before the girl brought her in for a tight hug, whispering softly in her ear. 

“Thank you for that.” 

“Anytime,” Vanessa murmured back, rubbing her friend’s back before eyeing the empty classroom from over her shoulder, “How about you guys spend study hall together? The chemistry classroom won’t be used for the rest of the day as far as I know.” 

The two nodded, looking over their shoulders before sliding inside the room and closing the door behind them. The girl left in the hall gave herself a mental pat on the back for a job well done before heading off to spend Study Hall on the roof and away from people that constantly tempted her to commit murder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos and a comment about what you thought and thank you for reading x


	3. Terrified

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The killing never stops, it's just in our nature to make war.  
> In times of peace, it's on our minds.  
> In times of terror, it's on our minds.  
> It's our plan for everything, even when we seek diplomacy.  
> War is not the problem. We are the problem.  
> \- Anonymous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things that should be pointed out:  
> \- In my fic, Argent told Gerard everything except that Scott is a werewolf. Instead, he said that Scott and his friends know about werewolves because they were being groomed by the Alpha to join the pack. He also knows that Derek is the Alpha now.

It was four o’clock and Vanessa was waiting for Stiles to get out of detention so that they could ride together to the funeral. Scott had told them that he wanted to be there for Allison, so that she would have a familiar face to support her in a crowd of paparazzi. 

Vanessa peeked through the door to see what was taking Stiles so long, she heard Harris going on about how his detentions go for an hour and a half – which was pure and utter bullshit. 

She opened the door as the teacher was gloating to the boy, “Since your father was so _judicious_ in his dealings with me, I’ve decided to make you my personal project for the rest of the semester.” 

“I don’t think so, sir,” Vanessa declared, shutting the door behind her loudly as the man behind the desk rolled his snake eyes at her. 

“Miss O’Connor, don’t think you can blackmail me with going to the police. They already know.” 

“Oh,” her eyes widened sardonically as she cocked her head, a sly smirk spreading across her face, “They do, do they? Well how about the local paper? I wonder what the headline would say if they found out you were an accomplice in Kate Argent’s massacre of all those people in that fire six years ago?” 

“How about,” Stiles piped up from where he was currently getting his bags, “ _High-School Teacher Guides Children In The Ten ways To Get Away With Arson?_ What do you think, Ness? Sound good?” 

“It does, actually,” Vanessa smirked at her friend, watching as their teacher’s face blanched white, “In fact, I might have to recommend that title to them. I know that the parents of Beacon Hills brightest would absolutely eat it up like Sunday brunch.” 

“You’ve made your point,” Harris grounded out, pointing to the door, “Just get out of my sight.” 

“Sir, it was a pleasure. As always,” the girl inclined her head as she and her best friend walked out. 

Stiles turned to her as they walked down the hall, “That made up for not shooting Derek.” 

“How did you know?” she sighed, knowing she had been caught lying. 

“Please,” he rolled his eyes, adjusting the strap on his shoulder as he explained, “Scott tells me everything, dude.” 

“Traitor,” she muttered under her breathe as they exited the school and hopped in the car, heading for the cemetery. The carpark was packed when they got there, paparazzi practically pulsing against the barrier the Sheriff’s department set up as Allison’s parents led their daughter to her seat. Vanessa’s heart went out to her friend as the dark-haired girl looked around, shaking. 

“Don’t they have anything better to do?” Vanessa murmured to her best friend as they took a spot at the tree line, away from the crowd gathering to watch the Argent’s like teenagers at a concert waiting for their favourite band to come on. 

It disgusted her, brought a snarl to her lips as she glared at them with the flashing cameras and their loud voices. Funerals were supposed to be silent, solemn affairs. These people treated this one like it was the red fucking carpet. Kate Argent might have been a fucking murderous bitch, but her family didn’t deserve to be hounded like dogs. Her sins didn’t deserve to be glorified and spectated on by people who didn’t really give a damn about her crimes, just the notoriety that reporting them would earn them. It made the paparazzi worse than the dead woman, in some ways. 

“It’s their job, Nessa. They’ve probably ditched taking care of their families to do this,” Stiles mumbled from beside her, eyes searching the cemetery for any sign of Scott before they caught the boy’s crouched figure behind a tombstone, “Cutting it a bit close there, buddy?” 

The boy heard Stiles’ mumble and turned to them, shaking his head as if pleading with them not to give him away. 

“Does he think we’re stupid?” the girl asked, turning to the boy next to her. 

“You’re doing a good job of it yourself, man.” 

Suddenly, one of the paparazzi ducked under the barrier to get a few shots of Allison. When Vanessa narrowed her eyes at the guy, she found that it was a classmate of theirs from school. Matt, his name was. And it was when a hand grabbed the front of Matt’s camera and snatched it off of him, that the crowd quietened down as an old man with white, balding hair on his head and cold eyes lifted the camera to inspect it. The man was accompanied by two men on either side of him, all dressed in dark suits. The newcomer lifted the memory card from the camera and waved it in the boy’s face before breaking it in half. 

As the old man approached the Argents, walking with a predatory gate despite his age, Vanessa drew back to hold onto Stiles’ arms, eyes wide in shock as she whispered, “That must be the others Allison was talking about. He’s the leader.” 

“Yeah,” Stiles murmured back, eyes locked on their best friend from where he peered around the tomb he was hiding behind, “I think Scott just realized that too.” 

The old man approached Allison’s dad, enveloping him in a unfeeling embrace that lasted a moment before he turned to Victoria, who rose up from her seat to greet him with a kiss on either cheek, more warmth to the woman than to the other man. The newcomer than turned to Allison, and all four of the teenager’s present – as Matt had ran with his tail between his legs – tensed up. 

Stiles began walking towards Scott, taking Vanessa with him before she stopped him with a hiss. 

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” 

“I’m going to see if Scott can listen in on the conversation.” 

“What?” she whispered harshly, tightening her grip, “Just wait until after. If you do it now, you’ll blow his cover for sure.” 

The boy didn’t listen to her though and crept around through the trees to the other side of the cemetery, leaving the girl standing there sighing in disappointment. She turned her attention back to Allison as the old man seemed to talk to her about something. By the look in her friend’s eyes, she had a feeling the girl knew who he was. Allison glanced to the statue where her friend’s hid behind and the two men in front of her turned to see what she was looking at. Vanessa watched as her best friends ducked down and wonder how on earth they didn’t get caught. 

Her, on the other hand, drew Chris Argent’s attention as he turned with an eyebrow raised. Vanessa gulped nervously, before raising her head in defiance. She was there for Allison. They were all there for Allison. And that was a hell of a lot better than the paparazzi’s reason for being there. The old man took a seat beside the girl as Allison’s eyes flittered to her boyfriend and his friend. Argent finally took his eye off the other teenage girl in attendance, sighing as he accepted that she wasn’t going anywhere until the funeral ended. 

The funeral procession was about to begin when Vanessa caught sight of her godfather heading towards her friends with a vein popping out of his head. She didn’t bother warning them as the Sheriff picked them up by the scruff of their necks and dragged them past where Vanessa was standing. 

“Really, Vanessa?” her godfather sighed, looking at her with disappointment, “You too?” 

“I’m actually standing at a respectful distance and not hiding behind a tombstone so don’t group me in with these hooligans,” she waved a hand at the boys in his hold, who glared at her in betrayal. 

The girl sighed, shaking her head at them, “You should have just stayed where you were.” 

“You can stay,” the Sheriff nodded at her, before growling at the two boys, “You two are coming with me. I’m taking you both home, right now.” 

Vanessa waved them off, staying to watch as Kate’s coffin was lowered to the ground and roses, white and free of the blood on the dead woman’s hands, were dropped into the grave. The Argents than begun to head off back to their cars when Allison caught her friend’s eye from across the cemetery. The girl whispered to her father pleadingly, Argent looking between the two girls and about to shake his head when the old man placed a hand on Allison’s shoulder, saying something before turning to look at Vanessa. The girl’s eyes widened in surprise when the stranger beckoned her to come over, not expecting be allowed to approach them ever again after her visit the day before. 

_I guess the old man didn’t get the memo_ , she thought to herself as walked over, head held high as she stopped in front of them. 

“I’ve come to offer my condolences,” the girl stammered out, gesturing to Allison as she added, “And here to support Allison.” 

The old man considered her with calculating look before smiling, “That is very kind of you. It seems my granddaughter has very good friends.” 

“I’m sorry that we had to meet under such grim circumstances,” Vanessa began before being cut off. 

“Child, you don’t have to pretend for our sake,” Allison’s grandfather chuckled, voice raspy like it was used to constantly yell out directions, “Christopher has enlightened me on the events that occurred Friday night, and your involvement in them. It seems you keep interesting company, Miss O’Connor.” 

The girl tremored slightly at being called out before she stiffened her spine and said quietly, “I like to keep an open-mind. Unfortunately, that too goes only so far. I don’t regret anything that happened that night, sir, except for your daughter’s death.” 

“Do go on,” the old man waved at her urgingly, a silent warning in his eyes. Allison and her father boy looked at the girl with wide eyes that screamed at her to watch her step. Victoria, on the other hand, smiled in anticipation for the girl who was friend with wolves to step into a trap laid by hunters. 

Vanessa cleared her throat as she continued, “I’m a sixteen-year-old girl that just wanted to help her friends stop a man from killing people. I just wanted to stop a woman who was determined to murder my best friend. I didn’t want to see her dead and I’m sorry that I had to. I’m even more sorry that Allison had to.” 

The group studied her in silence, turning her words over and over in their heads like a crystal ball that could shatter any time they decided to drop it. The old man finally cracked a smile, coming forward to pat the girl’s shoulder in faux gentleness as he praised her for her words. 

“Well said. You may call me Gerard,” he introduced himself, capturing her hand to shake with a tight grip as he waved his other to his granddaughter, “You may comfort your friend now. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable.” 

The girl smiled nervously, feeling nothing genuine from this man who gave her smile that looked more wolfish than Peter Hale’s ever did as Vanessa ran to Allison, pulling the girl into a tight embrace. 

“It’s okay,” the brunette murmured, rubbing her back as the girl sniffed into her shoulder, “It’s okay to feel the way you feel. Ignore everyone else and grieve the way you want to grieve.” 

She pulled back, wiping a few stray tears that ran down her friend’s cheek before tipping her chin up to look her friend in the eye, “But don’t give them the satisfaction of seeing you break. You might cry, but you will look them in the eyes and dare them to say something about it.” 

Allison nodded with a small, wet smile as her chin stayed and Vanessa let her friend go, her support taking hold until she was no longer need. The girl turned to the adults that had gathered around the two teenagers and gave them a nod, bidding them a goodbye as she walked away towards her car. 

Don’t think she didn’t feel their eyes burning her back the entire time. She fucking knew it. 

-

Vanessa didn’t leave her house for twenty-four hours after that. Not even to go to school. Besides, let’s face it – who took sophomore year seriously when you could spend junior and senior year making up for it? It’s not like her grades were that bad – except for Math but come on, when Math was created and people threw letters in there, even the Devil stepped back and agreed it was kind of cold – so she had every right to take a mental health day to recover from meeting Gerard Argent. 

There were hunters and then there were _**Hunters**_ , mechanical blood hounds that narrowed their cold, dead eyes at you like you were their next victim. Argent might spout about how nobody ever breaks their stupid little moral code they got going but Vanessa was one hundred and twenty percent sure that his old man hadn’t followed a moral code in his life. If she learnt that just by standing in front of the man for five minutes, then imagine the kind of trauma living in the same house as him caused on someone’s mind. 

Poor fucking Allison, she truly prayed for the girl. That family was bundled up with more issues than Santa’s sack was bundled up with presents on Christmas. Gerard was definitely giving off double the amount of psychotic vibes as his daughter, who already demonstrated her instability by setting children on fire and putting a gun to a teenager’s head in front of her niece, Victoria was just plain scary and Vanessa was kind of suspecting there was definently some heavy emotional abuse going on between her and her daughter. Chris and Allison were probably the only decent ones, although Argent might need to get his head out of his ass and look around. He didn’t need to be out hunting beast if they were already in his bed and roaming his fucking house. 

********

It was nightfall when her phone rang out in the tune of _Rabbit_ by Chas n’ Dave which she found on her phone that morning and thought it would be funny to set as Stiles’ ringtone. 

********

_You won't stop talking,_

********

_Why don't you give it a rest?_

********

Vanessa giggled as she took her time to pick up her phone, still laughing as she answered. 

********

“Hello?” 

********

“Meet me at the front.” 

********

“Tell me why first,” the girl hummed, already getting her jacket as she walked out of her room. 

********

“Jesus Christ, Nessa. _Fine_ , my dad got a call from dispatch about an ambulance being attacked.” 

********

The brunette waved to Lisa, pointing to her phone silently to which the woman smiled with a thumbs up as her daughter walked out the front door and down the driveway, hanging up the phone to hop into the jeep. Stile leaned over the back seat to glare at her, annoyance scrunched up on his face. 

********

“When I say meet me at the front, don’t ask questions.” 

********

“Excuse me,” the girl quirked a brow, leaning on the arm rest to look at him as she said, “One, don’t be so fucking rude and two, I have every right to ask questions. I don’t know where your taking me or what this is about.” 

********

“Fine, it’s just we don’t have time for that,” the boy grumbled, starting down the road as he continued, “We need to catch Lydia’s scent before it disappears.” 

********

Vanessa softened at the concern in his voice and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, “I’m sorry, okay. But we don’t know if it’s actually her that’s doing this.” 

********

“We’re about to find out soon,” Scott piped up from beside them as they parked down the road from where the blue and red lights of the ambulance shone on the forest around them. 

********

The three teenagers got out of the car, hurriedly running to hide from sight as they crawled amongst the leaves and sticks to study the scene. The first thing she saw was blood. Blood covered the entirety of the back of the ambulance as a dead body sat, still strapped in a stretcher with it’s organs strewn across it’s stomach. Stiles’ shoulders slouched as he took in the scene with wide eyes before asking Scott quietly if he could catch her scent. Scott breathed in for a moment before opening his eyes again, nodding his head. Before he went to track her down, Stiles placed a hand on their best friend’s shoulder, begging him to find Lydia. 

********

Scott promised him he would before bounding off into the forest, leaving his two friends behind. They were sitting there for five minutes when a flashlight shone from behind them as Sheriff Stilinski shook his head. 

********

“What the hell are you two doing now?” he grunted. 

********

The two stood up and followed him over to the rest of the squad cars. Sarah was talking with another deputy when she caught sight of her daughter approaching and quickly came over to find out why she was there. As Vanessa and Stiles were mumbling out apologizes with guilty looks, the boy looked up in time to see a young girl come out of the woods. Vanessa followed his line in sight, originally thinking he was trying to leave her to make up something before she caught Lydia Martin at the tree line. The girl’s normally neat and glossy hair was frizzy, with all sorts of twigs and leaves caught up in it. There was dirt covering her legs and feet and her brown eyes were wide as she slowly approached them all. 

********

“Lydia?” Stiles gaped at her, turning away from his father. 

********

The young girl shivered, elbows trying to protect her modesty and keep her warm from the cold as Stiles called out to her to get her attention. Lydia looked up, eyes glassy and mouth gasping as everyone turned in shock. 

********

“Well?” the girl croaked out, hoarse and barred with sobs, “Is anyone gonna get me a coat?” 

********

Her arms dropped from her chest and it soon became very fucking apparent to everybody there that she was very, very naked. Vanessa went to approach her, taking off her bomber jacket as Stiles clawed at his father’s coat, eyes fixated on the love of his life naked as the day she was born before he tripped over his own shoes to go to her. Vanessa shook her head at him before slowly approaching her friend, arms holding out the jacket as she called back to everyone else. 

********

“Can you give her some fucking privacy please? And a blanket!” 

********

She turned back to help Lydia into warm coat, before sliding her arm around the girl gingerly as she led her towards where Sarah and some other female police officers waited. They took the shivering girl from her, Sarah stopping her daughter from accompanying her friend and insisting that they were going home. 

********

“Are you mad at me?” Vanessa asked quietly. 

********

Sarah glanced at her quickly before pulling out and heading back to town, “I’m not angry. Just stressed and tired. What were you doing out here anyway?” 

********

“We thought we might try and help find Lydia,” the girl explained, settling back in the seat as trees passed by in a darken blur, “The school put signup sheets for kids who wanted to volunteer for search parties.” 

********

“Really?” her mother asked surprised, “I didn’t know that.” 

********

“I should probably send a text out,” Vanessa commented, pausing to apologize, “Sorry if I caused you any stress. I really just wanted to help.” 

********

“I know you do, kiddo, but you shouldn’t be at scenes like that.” 

********

“Try telling Stiles that,” the girl scoffed, pulling out her phone to type out a text as Sarah snorted. 

********

“The day Stiles does what he’s told, Noah will be rolling in his grave and hell will be freezing over.” 

********

“True that.” 

********

**VANESSA:** _Spread the word that all search parties are called off. The missing girl has been found._

********

Sarah pulled into their driveway, both females hopping out and heading in before Vanessa caught a familiar Camaro parked down the street, stopping her in her tracks. The girl called out to her mother, telling her she wanted to sit outside for a bit and get some air now that she had fully processed she had seen a dead body for the first time – to her mother’s knowledge, this is. 

********

The deputy nodded before walking in as Vanessa headed back down the driveway and over to the parked car, hopping in and turning around to face Derek Hale. 

********

“We need to talk,” he stated, a grave look on his face that put a stop to every witty comment she was going to make. 

********

“What’s wrong?” she asked, frowning at him. Derek was always a bit surly, but he had been loosening up a bit since their agreement last Friday, so she didn’t expect him to be falling back on it so soon. 

********

“The omega that was at the cemetery was captured by hunters tonight. I saved Scott before he could be caught and we hid but the omega,” the man breathed in and out, eyes hardening, “He was killed.” 

********

“What?” Vanessa gasped, clutching the car seat as she whipped around, “Why? Because he killed the guy in the ambulance?” 

********

“The guy in the ambulance was already dead. The omega only fed on those who were already dead. You could tell by his eyes; they were still gold. When a wolf kills, their eyes turn blue like mine,” he explained, sending her a look that told her not to ask for _that_ story. 

********

“If that’s true, then what about their so-called code?” she pointed out, frowning as a heavy weight settled in her stomach, “You know, the one Argent always goes on and on about?” 

********

“There was a new hunter there tonight. Kate’s father,” Derek began before she filled in the gaps. 

********

“Gerard. I saw him at the funeral.” 

********

“Well, Gerard just declared war on all of us,” the man continued, lips curling up in derision as he said the name, “He cut the omega in half and declared that we were just bodies waiting to be cut down. He said he would even go after the sick and weak ones, the harmless. Every single one of us. And I bet, he wouldn’t just stop at wolves.” 

********

“Why the fuck is he doing this?” the girl whispered in fear as she wrapped her arms around herself. 

********

“He said it was because we murdered Kate.” 

********

“But that was Peter!” she cried, throwing her hands up in agitation, “We killed Peter. Peter’s dead and Kate’s dead, so it should be over. The killing should be over.” 

********

“No,” Derek said, looking over at her with dark eyes, “The killing has only just begun. And he won’t stop until all of us are dead which is why me and Scott need to work together.” 

********

“I’m all for that but like I told you, trust needs to be earned. How about instead of trying to push him to break up with Allison all the time – because we all know that’s a one-way ticket to Scott McCall’s bad side – try actually being nice and helping him out.” 

********

“She’s one of them!” the werewolf exclaimed, eyes flickering red.. 

********

Vanessa glared at him, menacingly shaking a finger at him as she growled out, “Don’t you pull that Alpha crap on me! I’m trying to help your ungrateful ass out!” 

********

He sighed at her, rolling his eyes as they flickered back to normal, “Fine. But you can’t deny that they could use her to get to him.” 

********

“I’m not gonna deny that. Because that’s most definently what they’re going to do. All I know is that you won’t be able to help him if you only try to protect him. They’re a package deal, Derek, Scott won’t listen to you unless you promise to help him protect us all. Even his hunter girlfriend, who may I remind you is also my friend too!” 

********

“Fine!” he grunted, giving her a sarcastic look as he asked her, “What do you propose?!” 

********

“I propose that you be a bit nicer. Nobody likes a sour-wolf.” 

********

She thought she heard him mutter something about ‘ _gonna kill Stiles for that nickname_ ’ but she must’ve been imagining things as she continued on, “Look, I know that Gerard is bad news, alright? I literally spent five minutes with the guy, and I didn’t leave the house all day because I thought he was out there with a fucking sniper following my every goddamn move. And I’m fucking human!” 

********

“Do you know what Scott thinks?” he asked her, frowning as he tried to come up with a plan to combat this new big bad. 

********

Vanessa shook her head at him before offering, “When I do, I’ll let you know. I’ll warm him up to the idea of working with you but I cant make any promises of him agreeing anytime soon unless you find a way to earn back his trust.” 

********

She heard him breathe out in frustration before gritting his teeth, “Fine.” 

********

“Derek.” 

********

“What?” 

********

“I’m scared.” 

********

Her words shocked them both as the wolf next to her straightened up in his seat before looking at her with wide, unsure eyes. Because it was true. What happened with Peter the night of the winter formal made her sick just thinking about it. About seeing Kate’s gun aimed at Scott’s head. The sound of the woman’s throat being torn open by Peter and the thud of her body as it hit the floor. The smell of burning flesh before the Alpha dropped to the ground, gagging as he tried to breathe through his ravaged throat before Derek slashed it. She couldn’t go through that type of shit again. She was sixteen years old. They were just kids. They were supposed to be partying on weekends, hanging out with friends, falling in love, breaking up and just making memories. Not going out to abandoned houses in the middle of the woods and having terrifying showdowns with monsters that ended with people dying! 

********

She felt tears well up in her eyes and brushed at them harshly. She was so fucking sick of crying! She didn’t want reasons to cry anymore! To be scared of people and places and things that went bump in the night. She wanted to go to school with her friends, sneak out night to movies or parties – not to abandoned car parks and crime scenes. She wanted to go on dates with Isaac and for him to have a home where he wasn’t constantly scared to go back to. She even wanted Derek to have a semblance of a normal life. To have a normal fucking house with a roof. An actual job. Maybe even get laid so he would stop cockblocking teenagers. 

********

Before she knew it, she was sobbing in her hands as the werewolf beside her looked around for help. He wasn’t equipped to deal with this shit. He didn’t have gentle words or warm hugs. He was twenty-five for Christ sake and he didn’t even know how to deal with his own feelings – _**not** _that he had any – let alone someone else’s.__

****____ ** **

But this was Vanessa. This girl who had hit him with her car, whose eyes shone brightly when she found out werewolves exists, whose mind made unbelievable leaps to get to the truth and who looked evil in the eye and smiled. She forgave him for killing Peter and stealing his power, offered to help him build a pack and advised him on how to do it – advice he never thought he would hear and actually agree with. 

****____ ** **

She was too young, too smart and way too scared to be dealing with their shit every day but because she was a good friend and a genuinely good person, she stuck by them. Both of them. She had only known him a month and yet she already treated him with as much loyalty as she did Scott, who she had known since diapers. So, Vanessa did deserve a hell of a lot more than what he would’ve given other people. 

****____ ** **

Now, Derek had been out of practice for a very, very long time so he might have been going about it the entirely wrong way when he leaned over to pull the girl into his chest, brushing back her hair away from her face as she cried. 

****____ ** **

Vanessa froze, not knowing what he was doing. The last time the two had hugged, she had initiated it and all he had to do was fight the urge to push her off and pat her back twice. With Derek willingly hugging her, she knew she must be in a pretty pathetic state for this miracle to occur. So, the girl helped him out, wrapping her arms around his back as she sobbed into his shirt. 

****____ ** **

“You know you’re a pain in the ass right?” he grumbled into her hair, rubbing her shoulders before adding softly, “But you’re also a good kid. You know I won’t let anything happen to you. Or your friends. Okay?” 

****____ ** **

The brunette nodded, sniffing as she drew back and wiped at her eyes, laughing nervously, “I’m sorry you had to do that. Thanks though.” 

****____ ** **

Derek shook his head at her, glancing away quickly but not before she caught something that made her do a doubletake. 

****____ ** **

“ _ **SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!**_ ” she exclaimed, pulling his face towards her as he winced from effect the sound of her voice had on his hearing as she lowered it in wonder, “Was that a _smile_ I just saw?” 

****____ ** **

“Don’t be stupid,” he grunted, giving her a deadpan look. 

****____ ** **

She searched his eyes for the truth before seeing a familiar twitch of his lips and letting go, yelping dramatically as she fell against the leather seat, “Oh my god! It was! Derek Hale was smiling. Because of _me_?!” 

****____ ** **

“You’re imagining things,” he rolled his eyes at her theatrics, waiting until she calmed down. 

****____ ** **

Vanessa shook her head at him, an amused smile on her lips before someone’s face flashed into her mind, killing it off straight away as she asked in full seriousness, “You’re going to prepare them right?” 

****____ ** **

Derek hummed at her, turning around to raise a questioning brow. 

****____ ** **

“Your pack,” she elaborated, frowning up at him as she continued, “You’re going to take care of them. Teach them, protect them, fight for them, right? Like I asked you to?” 

****____ ** **

The werewolf looked her over once more, saw the fear that stared back at him and the determination that quickly followed. She was human, too human. But she was ready to fight for them all if it came down to it. As long as he fought for the ones that mattered most to her, she would be there fighting right alongside him. With what, Derek wasn’t sure. Maybe with her wit and her bare hands. Maybe with a metal bar waving in her hands as she charged hunters. Who knows? All that mattered was that she knew she didn’t stand a chance but was willing to fight anyway. Because that’s what pack do. Fight for each other. Vanessa was pack. 

****____ ** **

The thought made him rear back in surprise. Yes, his mother’s pack had human members, but they were blood relatives that weren’t born with the werewolf gene. This girl was all but a stranger to him, yet his wolf already considered her family. Just like he did Scott. And if there was one thing he would always protect; it would be his family. 

****____ ** **

That is what drove him to answer, “Yes. I will take care of them. And you.” 

****____ ** **

The girl blinked up at him in shock before smiling brightly, “Okay. Back attcha.” 

****____ ** **

She giggled at his stunned face as she hopped out of the car, waving back at him as she travelled up the driveway. Yes, they might be going to war. Yes, she might very well be a target this time. Yes, she was human and didn’t possess any skills that would allow her to fight back. But she had her friends. Her family. And she even had Derek. 

****____ ** **

And somewhere out there in the small town of Beacon Hills, she had a boy who was crazy for her. So crazy, he would even search out this Alpha who had promised to teach him how to free himself from the prison that was his house. And his father who was his warden.

****____ ** **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Leave a comment and kudos to show the love and if you have any feedback or suggestions, feel free to share them x


	4. Have You Ever Seen The Rain?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac runs away from home but instead of going straight to his Alpha, he takes a short cut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning: There is a scene featuring child abuse in the first part of this chapter. If this is sensitive or triggering for you, you can scroll down to the second half that is divided up by a hyphen ' - ' . You won't miss anything that you don't already know, and if you don't know, it's quickly explained what happened in the second part of the fic. 
> 
> Title is from the song by Creedence Clearwater Revival with the same title "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?"

It was Monday night, five days since Lydia Martin was returned to her family and the attacks on the dead had stopped when they found a homeless guy dead in the forest of Beacon Hills Preserve. Now that the mysterious offender was no longer a concern or danger and there was no longer an investigation, the cemetery was reopened so the Lahey’s could continue working their usual hours. 

Isaac thought he would continue to be put on the graveyard shift but was surprised when his father had called him home for dinner, saying that the cemetery could wait a night and he could continue his work the day after. The boy came home and sat down at the kitchen table where a hot meal was put in front of him. He waited for his father to speak, eyes darting up nervously the man sitting across from him. Something was going on. His father hadn’t cared if he ate or slept as long as he did well in school and showed up at work. And even then, his anger would strike at the most unlikely of places. A plate left unwashed in the sink, the light left on the bathroom, passing the wrong wrench when he was asked to help in the garage. 

But then his father asked him about his grades. And he knew that Vanessa’s plan to stall his father from finding out about Chemistry was in vain. His father waited expectantly from across the long, narrow table as Isaac stammered out his best grades first, hoping that it would draw his attention away from what he left out. 

“Um, so far it’s an A in French and a B minus in Econ,” he trailed of in the end, voice catching at the last word. 

“Oh,” his father said in mock interest, stabbing at his food with his fork and taking a bite as he asked nochantly, “What about Chemistry?” 

The boy’s shoulders slouched as he tried to find an excuse that would satisfy the old man, “I’m not sure, but, uh, midterms are in a few days so it could go up.” 

“Well, what’s it at now?” his father prompted, looking at him with those beady eyes that knew exactly what it was at right now. 

Isaac’s eyes flicked up nervously, “The grade?” 

“Uh yeah,” the old man laughed, raising his knife and fork as he licked his lips in anticipation for the answer he wanted. 

The boy knew he was in trouble as he looked down, shaking his head in the hopes he could get away by plausiable deniability, “I’m not sure.” 

“But you just said it could go up.” 

Isaac ran a hand through his hair as he stammered to cover up his mistake, “I just – I just meant generally.” 

“You wouldn’t be lying to me, would you Isaac?” 

His head lifted up slowly as he looked at his father with wide, fearful eyes as he shook his head, “No.” 

“Then tell me your grade.” 

“I just told you, I don’t -” 

“You wanna take this little conversation down stairs?” his father whispered mockingly, a menacing smile playing on his face as his son shook his head fearfully, “No? Then tell me the grade, son.” 

His jaw clenched as he looked down at the floor and he could actually see the freezer, that dark, cold space, staring right back up at him as he pleaded with his father to understand, “Dad, the semesters only half over – “ 

“Isaac.” 

“There’s plenty of time – “ 

“Isaac!” his father exclaimed, throwing his hands out with him like the boy was being difficult. 

The boy’s head ducked down as he stuttered out, “It’s- it’s a D.” 

His eyes flickered up to watch the man’s reaction carefully as his father seemed to consider his answer before shrugging casually and placing his cutlery down, “Alright. It’s a D.” 

The man crossed his arms as he leaned on the table, shaking his head at his son’s wary look, “I’m not angry. You know I’m gonna have to find a way to punish you though. I have my responsibilities as a parent. So, we’ll start with something simple, like, uh, tell you what, you do the dishes and clean up the kitchen, okay?” 

Isaac blinked in shock, not expecting his father to react in such a way. The boy nodded hastily, murmuring out, “Yeah.” 

His father finished off the drink in his cup, never taking his eyes of his son as he muttered, “Good.” 

“Because I’d really like to see this place spotless,” the man continued before chucking the cup over his shoulder. The ceramic cup smashed into the wooden cabinets and shattered into pieces on the floor, a loud crash echoing through the silent kitchen as Isaac flinched, eyes round and fixated on the mess his father had made as the old man chuckled, “Know what I’m saying?” 

The boy started breathing heavily as his eyes moved slowly back over to the man sitting across from him who was gesturing to the space around them as he taunted, “You know, I mean this _entire_ kitchen.” 

His father stood up suddenly and swept the plates and food off the table, sending it all crashing to the floor as Isaac fell from his seat, crouching down with his hands covering his head as his father’s voice shouted, “Yeah! **Absolutely spotless!** ” 

The glass jar met the wall above his head and the boy tremored at the sound as his cheek started stinging. His hands came up to his face and the piece of glass stuck only an inch from his right eye. He felt the wetness on his face as tears mixed with blood. He looked up at his father who grinned down at him and pulled the shard out, gritting his teeth in pain and finally holding it up with a hushed grunt. 

“Well, that was _your_ fault,” he heard his father reason. 

Isaac turned to look at him with fear and shock at the lengths his father’s angers went as he went to stand up from the floor, jarred picture frames grazing his back through his sweatshirt as he spat out horrified, “You could have _blinded_ me.” 

“Shut up! It’s a scratch!” his father shouted, studying the wound he put on his son’s face as his voice trailed off, “It’s hardly even…..” 

His father gaped in shock and as Isaac lifted his hand to the cut, he was shocked to find that there was no blood and the wound had healed itself. Just like Derek said it would. Except that it just so happened to heal supernaturally fast in front of his father. His eyes darted up, catching the old man’s curiosity and confusion. And he did the one thing he should have done ages ago. He bolted. 

“Isaac – “ 

The boy gathered up his bike lying on the front lawn and pedalled as fast as he could down the street, panting heavily as he heard his father’s car start up and knew that he wouldn’t be able to outrun him forever, especially if his father was coming after him in a car. But his father couldn’t catch up to him if he didn’t know where he was headed. 

The boy took a short cut down an alley he used to get to school, ducking into the shadows as the car drove past and stopped before reversing. It started raining and his sweater was drenched as he heard his father yell out for him. He didn’t dare move, slamming a hand over his mouth as he approached the spot where his son was secretly hiding. Isaac thought for sure that he was caught when his father said his name, but when he looked up through the cracks at his father’s face, he found the man staring at something at the other end of the alley. When the boy followed his line of sight, he shrank back at the creature standing before him. He froze up as his father sprinted back towards the car and the creature followed after him on all fours. 

He smashed his hands over his ears as his father’s screams echoed through the night until they were abruptly cut off. What was worse though, was animalistic screeching of whatever it was that went after him. He heard it run off out of the alley and felt it was safe to come out of his hiding spot. He inched out slowly, head frantically turning to see if it was still there before grabbing his bike and cycling back, but not before the scent of blood hit him like a freight train, fear pushing at him to pedal faster. 

Isaac felt his lungs burning and his breath caught in his throat, strangling him as he made it into an all too familiar neighbourhood. The boy hid his bike behind some bushes across the road and scrambled up to the house had stopped in front of. The bedroom window was wide open, curtains drawn back to reveal _her_ in her bedroom, looking out into the night sky and counting the stars. 

\- 

Vanessa had spent the past two days deviating between focusing on her studies, trying to convince Scott to work with Derek, trying to stop Stiles from talking Scott out of working with Derek and, most surprisingly, visiting Lydia Martin at her house. She had decided to wait until next week to return the school, a decision well supported by both her mother and father – the parents actually agreeing on something for the first time ever, according to their daughter. The girl hadn’t minded Vanessa visiting, appreciating the fact that the first time she had came over, she offered to take the girl to that boutique they bonded over on the first day of school. 

Sure, it might seem like an insensitive move considering Lydia had spent two days running naked through the forest, but it was interesting because according to the strawberry blonde, she couldn’t remember any of it. Vanessa noticed it frazzled the girl but decided not to confront her, knowing the last thing Lydia wanted was to seem like she wasn’t the all-knowing, powerful and confrontational girl she presented herself at school. So, she gave the girl her power back, letting her boss her around and choose out clothes for her. Gave her a sense of control that, she didn’t know at the time, really touched Lydia. 

The brunette had also working on Derek’s next candidate, her very own best friend Erica Reyes. The girl had come to school the day before with dark circles under her eyes that were sunken in her sockets. Her friend had mentioned last month about how her parents weren’t going to change the medication she used to treat her epilepsy because they were certain it was helping her with her seizures. Apparently, she had one the same day that Vanessa stayed home, collapsing in the girl’s locker rooms with no one being none the wiser until a teacher had walked in and found her on the ground. Despite this recent attack, her parents were still unrelenting, believing it was just an anomaly. Vanessa wondered if they had torn their eyes from their screens when they said this. Sometimes, she wondered if Erica’s parents would notice if their daughter had a seizure in front of them or if they would calmly tell her to wait until they finished up with their reports. 

Vanessa sighed to herself from where she was now pacing holes in the floor of her bedroom before opening her windows, breathing in the fresh air and the droplets of rain that fell on the roof below her. As she looked up, she saw the silvery lights in the sky shining back on her and sighed as nostalgia took hold. There were stars that night too. It was a starry themed formal, of course, but the stars had been bright for her that night. Everything seemed to fall into place in that gym, dancing with her friends and laughing with their heads thrown back like they didn’t have a care in the world. Dancing with Isaac, the feel of his arms around her as they swayed to that slow song before the world fell away around them. She remembered that look in his eyes as if she was his sun and moon and decided to shine specifically on him as she dragged her hands through his curls and pulled him into her, lips crashing as they fell into…..what was the word he used? 

_**Heaven.**_

A creak broke her thoughts as something seemed to fall onto the metal slates outside her window across the room. The girl stiffened up, the worst coming to mind as she grabbed the nearest thing to her – which was a black, plastic baton she had brought for her Catwoman costume last Halloween – and inched closer to the window. It wouldn’t do much but if she could hit the intruder hard enough, she might send them stumbling out the window and off the roof. Then she could Sarah to finish him off with her handgun. Just as she raised the baton and bring it down, Isaac’s voice called out to her quietly. 

“Vanessa,” she heard him pant desperately, “I can hear you. It’s just me, I need your help.” 

The girl gasped out, the baton slipping from her fingers as she raced to the sill to see Isaac, drenched and getting drencher by the minute as he clung to the roof with wide, fearful eyes as he pleaded with her silently. Vanessa reached a handout to him, helping to pull him through her window – which was difficult to do with how tall he was – as she supported his arms, landing on the window seat and kneeling there. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he muttered, clutching at her hands that held him as he continued to apologize, “I was going to go to Derek but I just – I just couldn’t – I couldn’t.” 

Vanessa pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around him as his wet hoodie dampened her pajamas and his wet curls brushed against her own as he held her, shuddering through his muffled apologies. 

“It’s okay. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere,” she murmured in his ear, running a soothing hand through his wet hair as she laid kissed against his forehead, “You’re okay. You’re safe. You’re here with me.” 

“Som-something bad happened,” he stammered out, pulling back from her embrace, “Something really bad happened, Nessa.” 

“You can tell me. You can tell me anything, you know that.” 

“My dad he-he found out about my-my grade in Chemistry, the one you and your parents helped me to hide. He just got mad and he-he threw something at me and a piece of it cut me. And then it healed while he was watching and, so, I, uh ran.” 

“Okay, what happened after that?” 

“He went after me in his car and I went to-to take a short cut down this alley way and I hid. He got out to-to come find me but there was something, something else there with us and-and it ran at him. I didn’t see what happened after but – “ 

Isaac stared at her with fearful eyes as he whispered, “I-I think my dad’s dead.” 

The girl restrained herself from flinching, gulping nervously as her hands went to the back of his neck so that he looked her in the eyes, “Isaac, show me your eyes.” 

“It wasn’t me,” the boy whispered, closing his eyes to listen to the girl’s heartbeat begin to slow down when she heard the truth ring in his voice, “It wasn’t me.” 

“Shhh,” she whispered back, rubbing gentle circles into his back as she tried to compartmentalize all the thoughts and feelings swirling chaotically inside her. 

Vanessa got to her feet, tugging him up gently as she turned to search her drawers for some dry clothes for him. Werewolves might not suffer from the cold, but she wasn’t going to let him stay in his wet clothes. She knew that she had clothes that fit him somewhere in her pajama drawer. If there was one thing she could claim as a hobby, it would be stealing as many clothes from Scott and Stiles as she could without them figuring it out. She finally found what she was looking for, holding Scott’s sweatpants and Stiles’ t-shirt out in front of her before shrugging. 

“Alright,” she sighed, passing him the clothes, “Come on, you’re going to get changed and then you’re going to sleep. Don’t worry about my moms, they’re both working late tonight.” 

“What about my dad?” Isaac asked quietly as she led him to the bathroom. 

“We’re not going to worry about him until there’s news that there is something to worry about,” Vanessa replied, gently prompting inside, “Go have a nice warm shower, okay?” 

She was about to turn away when his hand reached out and caught hers, pulling her back as he whispered softly, “Thank you.” 

The girl smiled gently at him before turning to her room to map out what she was going to do. She wasn’t stupid, that was evidence that she had prior knowledge to a future murder investigation so of course, she was going to burn it in the fireplace afterwards. There were three things very apparent to her. One, there was something out there that was killing people. Could be just a regular murder but in Beacon Hills? She didn’t think so. Two, she needed to make sure that Isaac didn’t take the fall for it. 

She called Derek’s number and waited patiently for the man to answer his phone. 

“Hello?” his voice answered, sounding tired. 

“I need your help,” she replied, shutting the door behind her as she continued, “It’s about Isaac.” 

“What happened?” 

“He ran away from his father tonight.” 

“I can tell this isn’t the thing you’re actually calling me about. Get to the point.” 

“The point is that when his father went after him, something attacked the man. Isaac thinks his father is dead,” she explained in a hushed voice, hoping that the sound of the shower could hide her conversation away from the boy’s sensitive ears. 

“Did he lose control?” Derek asked, voice stern and she knew that he was gearing up to put down an out of control wolf. 

“No. He told me there was something else there, Derek. There’s another shape-shifter in town.” 

“How do you know he wasn’t lying?” 

“Look, you can ask him yourself, but I have a feeling you'll have to get in line.” 

“Shit,” the man hissed out, catching on to her train of thought as he asked, “They’re going to come for him once they ID the body.” 

“And I will need you to help break him out. And don’t even think about arguing. You’re his Alpha, it’s your responsibility.” 

“I know. You don’t have to keep reminding me.” 

“Good,” she smiled before hanging up. 

She turned her attention to the bed and started setting it up. She wasn’t going to make the guy sleep on the window seat, or God forbid, the ground! She could keep her hands to herself too. She wasn’t going to take advantage of him in this very sensitive period of his life. 

Oh God, what was she thinking? She was gonna be sleeping in the same bed as him. 

_Get your mind out of the fucking gutter, Vanessa! He has just run away from home after his abusive dad threw shit at his head, he might have heard his father die and you’re thinking about that right now!_

_I belong in the lowest circle of hell for this._

She heard the shower switch off and panicked, flying around the room to get extra blankets and pillows so that she could get started on the _Great Wall of Protecting Isaac Lahey’s Virtue_. She would need to be rolled up like a sushi roll to resist temptation – 

Her bedroom door creaked open and she jumped, startling the boy inching his way into her room. He gave her small smile as he whispered, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” 

“It’s fin – “ her voice trailed off as she took in the clothes she gave him and she almost wanted to curse herself. 

Stiles’ shirt was tight, the hard planes of his chest visible through the light grey sleep shirt that made her bite her tongue to stop from drooling over. The sweatpants fit him well, too fucking well, because as he placed his folded clothes wrapped up in a towel on her desk, she got a nice view of his ass and wished for the ground to swallow her up. 

_I’m so going to hell for this._

“Is it okay if I put my clothes there?” he stammered out, mistaken her pained look as being one of annoyance. Vanessa rushed to reassure him, smiling through her hummingbird beat. 

“No, no, it’s okay. I mean, they’re okay there.” 

The boy’s brow furrowed as he listened in on her pulse, asking in concern, “Is everything okay? You’re heartbeat is going really fast.” 

_Fucking shit bitch motherfucking shit._

_You fucking forgot the werewolf hearing, Nessa? Really?_

_Stupid dumb bitch motherfucking shit._

“Vanessa?” Isaac called out to her, walking over slowly as he studied her, “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” 

_Please don’t come any closer._

_I really don’t need you any closer to me._

“Why is your face red? Are you – “he began before his mouth formed an ‘o’ and his eyes widened in realization. 

The girl spun around, trying desperately to hide her feelings by busying herself with laying out the blankets and extra pillows, “Yeah, so, uh, I came up with an alibi if the police ask you for a statement but since there shouldn’t be too many people out tonight, I doubt there's going to be any witnesses to – “ 

A warm hand landed on her shoulder and her whole body was brought to heel by the simple touch that wrought heat down her body as Isaac whispered in awe, “Nessa, turn around.” 

She let out a shuddering breathe before turning around slowly, meeting the golden eyes of Isaac’s wolf. The boy didn’t seem to realize the sudden change, gazing at her with an intensity she had never seen on him as the hand on her shoulder slid slowly down her arm to wrap around her wrist and where blunt nails once were, there were sharp claws. Vanessa tried to keep her heartbeat from rising, realizing that Isaac had no idea he was in the midst of shifting and if she startled him, he could lose control. 

“You’re beautiful, you know that right?” he murmured to her in a low voice, a voice that sent goosebumps erupting on her flesh as he continued, “Too beautiful.” 

“Isaac?” she asked softly, as his claws traced her veins. 

He hummed back at her, golden eyes flickering up as he smirked, flashes of white fangs between lips she knew promised heavenly things……or maybe not so heavenly things. She had never seen this side of him, this impulse, this boldness. This primal nature that never existed before the wolf. But now, it was all she could see. No soft eyes. And she bet every cent she owned that those lips wouldn’t be soft on her either. 

_Those lips would tear her apart._

_Or maybe, it would be his teeth that did that._

His grip tightened on her wrist to the point where it panicked her as she grabbed onto his hand with her free one, firmly grabbing his attention as she asked, “Issac, you need to let me go.” 

Everything rushed to him at once. The slight tremor as the girl said his name, the rise of her pulse under his fingers – the claws that grew from them and as he looked over her shoulder at her window now closed shut to keep the rain out, he saw golden eyes peer back at him. 

With a gasp, he let her go, stumbling back and onto the ground as he cried out, “Oh my god, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” 

Vanessa quickly joined him on the floor, her knees hitting the wood hard as she crawled over to him, placing a comforting hand on his knee as she reassured him, “It’s okay. It’s okay, I’m okay.” 

“Pl-please don’t be afraid of me,” he pleaded, hands coming up to cover his eyes as he shuffled back against the wall. 

“I’m not. You just startled me, that’s all,” she explained honestly, coming to sit beside where he cowered in the corner, “Come on, look at me.” 

“I can’t. The-they’re still there, I can’t turn them off,” the boy panted as he continued turning away from her. 

The girl slowly extended a hand to cradle his face, gently pulling it towards her with his hand still over his eyes as he breathed in and out, “Breathe for me, Isaac. Just breathe.” 

He continued to do so as she slid her fingers under his hand, prying them off one by one until she took his hand into her own and laid them on his lap before she stared at his closed eyes. Tears wet his cheeks as his lashes fluttered, stubborn in their decision to curtain the bright windows within. Vanessa pressed against his arm as she whispered softly, “You can open your eyes now. You don’t have to be afraid.” 

The boy’s hands clenched around hers as he whispered, “I don’t want to hurt you, Nessa.” 

“You won’t,” she murmured back confidently, shaking her head as she smiled gently, “I just want to see my boyfriend’s beautiful eyes.” 

And just like that, they snapped open. Beautiful, deep set, blue eyes widened as they swung to her, mouth gaping at her as she grinned back, “See, there they are.” 

Isaac shook his head in bewilderment as he asked her quietly, “Did you just call me your boyfriend?” 

Vanessa ducked her head shyly, smiling slyly as she drawled out playfully, “Maybe. That is, if it’s okay with you?” 

The boy stammered for a bit, looking around as if she was referring to someone else in the room with them as he nodded eagerly, “Yeah, th-that’s more than okay.” 

“Great,” she beamed at him as she got up off of the floor, pulling their linked hands up as she continued, “Now that we have established that, let’s get some sleep. We both have a big day tomorrow.” 

She led him to the bed, leaving him standing on one side in uncertainty as she climbed in on the other side, pulling her blankets over her and getting comfortable before she realized he hadn’t moved. The girl cocked her head at him, patting the spot next to her as she asked, “You coming?” 

He blinked at her, shaking his head a bit as he processed her words, “I-I’m sorry?” 

“You coming to bed or what?” 

“In the bed? With you?” 

“Yeah? I’m not gonna let you sleep on the floor or the window seat. You’re too tall for it, you won’t fit.” 

“I’m okay with the floor,” he shuffled his feet, eyes darting nervously to bed as if it was going to lunge up and bite him. 

Vanessa sighed, crawling over towards him and grabbing his hand gently, “Look, Isaac, you’ve gone through hell tonight. Just get some sleep okay?” 

She pulled on his hand until he nodded hesitantly, following her as she returned under the covers on her side. She watched as the boy pulled back the blankets and slipped into the bed. As he laid down beside her, breathing in long, deep breaths, Vanessa turned on her side and slipped her hand into his. Isaac’s head whipped towards her as she smiled reassuringly. 

“It’s okay, it’s just me. Just keep breathing in and out,” she advised, clutching his hand tightly as he nodded his head, “We’re just going to sleep and then tomorrow, we’ll get up and we’ll do what we have to but I want you to know that I’m here and I’m not gonna leave you. You hear me?” 

Isaac nodded back as her eyes softened, the girl murmuring out, “Good night.” 

“Vanessa?” 

“Yes?” 

“Thank you.” 

“Anytime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter x give a kudos and comment to lemme know what you guys thought!


	5. I'd Punch Them In the Mouth (Cause They're All Wrong)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was the second time in twenty four hours that she had to defend her boyfriend's innocence and she bet it wouldn't be the last.
> 
> _But lemme tell you something, I got pretty sick of it after the first time so don't fucking test me_
> 
> The first time Vanessa spent the night with her boyfriend, it was wonderful. She didn't sleep for most of it but it was great. The morning was better, all the way up to lacrosse practice. Then things went to shit pretty quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- The title is from the song 'Who Knew' by P!nk and I thought the quote pretty much summed up Vanessa's attitude throughout this whole chapter so lemme know what you think!  
> \- Leave a kudos and comment down below - I would love to hear your feedback x

Everybody was beyond stupid if they thought she was going to sleep that night. She might have gotten in maybe five hours of shut eye – if you could call falling asleep for a good five minutes before she freaked out remembering she had a boy in her bed shut eye – before she gave up and quietly slipped out of bed and out of her bedroom. 

She walked through the darkened house, trying to calm her racing heart. She was sure that it was beating loud enough that Isaac would wake up to it as an alarm. It would serve him right for causing her to act this way. Even in the depths of despair and fear, the boy broke her heart just by glancing at him. Especially in his sleep, where all his turmoil and worry seeped out of him. It was true what people say, that when people sleep they look like they are the closest to peace they will ever be. Which is why she didn’t want to interrupt that fragile peace, knowing he needed it more than anyone that night. 

Tomorrow was going to be hard, but she was ready to do her part. There was only one alibi that she knew the Sheriff and her mother would not question. One, because nobody would be able to dissuade it and two, because it would be to uncomfortable for them to even attempt to challenge it. She hadn’t told Isaac yet and she hoped the boy would go along with it. 

_Oh God, what happens if he doesn’t go along with it?_

_Would it be too uncomfortable for him to say that?_

_Stupid, stupid Vanessa. You need to check with him before you make these types of wacko plans._

Yeah, she wasn’t going to get that pesky little heart rate down if she kept thinking like that. She needed to do something so boring that she would probably fall asleep in the middle of it. And then it came to her. Vanessa snuck back into her bedroom with the sleeping boy inside, snatching up his clothes from her desk before heading back out but not before she glanced over her shoulder at him one last time. Isaac was sleeping on his side, hand outstretched on her pillow as he breathed softly in the quiet room. 

_He really did deserve that little piece of peace._

She made her way down to the laundry downstairs, throwing the clothes into the dryer and sitting beside it as she watched the sun come up from the backdoor. The clothes must’ve been almost done their cycle before she heard the front door open and her moms’ walk in. The sounds of keys hitting the ceramic bowl and heavy sighs of exhaustion pricked her ears as she got up from the floor and stopped the machine, heading to front of the house where Sarah and Lisa were taking off their shoes. 

The two frowned at her as she smiled at them hesitantly. 

“What are you doing up?” Sarah asked, brows furrowed in suspicion as she took notice of the pile of clothes in her hand, “and whose clothes are those?” 

“That’s kind of what I need to talk to you about,” Vanessa started slowly, eyes flickering upstairs before landing back on her mothers’ with red cheeks, “You know how you said it was okay for Isaac to sleep over?” 

Both women nodded as she rambled on, “Well, I kind of invited him over. To stay the night. With me. And, I was going to make sure it was okay with you when I got home but you were both gone when I got here so, I just thought, it was okay to go ahead with it. So, I did. And he came over. But it was raining. And so, I got him to take his clothes off – “ 

“You don’t need to continue, honey,” Lisa smiled uncomfortably, raising a tired hand up as she added, “We get it.” 

“Wait,” Sarah held up a hand, turning to point above them and whispering, “There’s a boy up there right now? And you two – ?” 

“ **NO** ,” Vanessa amended quickly, before slapping her hand over her mouth. She took it off to correct the woman, “No, we didn’t but, we did, kind, do some other stuff. But we mostly just slept.” 

“Okay,” Sarah bite her lip, considering her daughter’s words carefully before repeating, “But – “ 

“But he came over to spend the night,” Lisa rolled her eyes at her wife’s continued amazement before turning back to Vanessa with a gentle smile, “It’s okay, honey. As long as you were safe and it was consensual, that’s all that matters.” 

The girl hummed, shuffling awkwardly as her mothers’ grinned at her before she pointed up the stairs, “I’m going to go up there now and give him his clothes. Then we’re going to take a shower.” 

Lisa raised a brow as Sarah gasped before their daughter quickly rushed to explain, “ _Separately_. We’re taking separate showers. Then we’re heading to school. Okay?” 

They nodded, beaming at her as she started up the stairs. Vanessa sighed to herself, rolling her eyes at the dorks downstairs who could barely contain their giggles. She pushed open the door quietly, slipping in and gently placing the clothes on her desk as the morning sun began to shine through her curtains, shadows dancing across the face of the boy on her bed as the ball of fire in the sky rose to life. 

The boy who was awake and staring at her gaping. 

“Why did you say that I came to spend the night?” he whispered to her as she rushed over to him to explain, cursing his wolf hearing. 

“Because that is your alibi. If anyone asks, you came here to spend the night,” she stated firmly, placing a hand atop of his as she sighed, “Hopefully, you won’t be asked too many questions except where were you last night and when was the last time you saw him. Just say you went over to spend the night at mine around seven and got here at seven fifteen.” 

“Okay,” he nodded, grabbing her hand as he smiled uncertainly at her, “So, your moms’ think we…..?” 

“Uh, yeah,” she laughed nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she asked shyly, “Is that okay?” 

“Oh, yeah, like, as long as they’re not mad at you or anything.” 

“Nope. I think Sarah was five seconds away from coming up here and shaking your hand.” 

“Really?” 

Vanessa snorted, shaking her head in amusement, “I wouldn’t put it past her. But, yeah, my moms’ aren’t strict about that whole sex thing since I turned sixteen. As long as we’re safe and consensual, they both think that teenagers should have the freedom to explore intimacy. They both hate how parents force kids to think of sex as something to be ashamed of or to keep to themselves because if that’s what their parents think, than kids wont come to them to ask for help or understanding.” 

Isaac smiled slightly at that, eyes darting to the door as he said, “Your moms’ are very different from other parents.” 

“Well, I told them I once did weed and I’m still alive so,” she cocked her head, grinning, “Yeah, you can say they’re **very** different.” 

“They’re good people. They must be popular with the rest of your friends.” 

“Oh, yeah, this is definently the place to be if you want to get up to crazy shit. You have both deputies and medical officers on standby.” 

They cracked up laughing at that, Vanessa losing her balance and falling onto his shoulder, sending them both falling back onto the bed. They looked at one another for a moment, eyes wide in surprise, before laughing again. She buried her face in his chest, listening to it rumble before it trailed off. His hand slid up to the back of her neck as she peered up at him. Isaac stared down at her under hooded lashes, blue eyes softening as she inched her face closer to his. Their lips were a hairs breathe away as he murmured to her. 

“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” 

He pulled her down, their lips crashing like two waves in a storm as she clutched at his t-shirt, chests pressing close as she deepened the kiss. Vanessa took his bottom lip captive, giving it her upmost attention as the boy beneath her moved his other hand to settle on her waist where her night shirt had ridden up to expose the smooth skin there. The boy turned her face to take back his bottom lip as she slipped her tongue between them, tracing the seams of his lips and coaxing his mouth wider. 

The hand on her waist tightened, Isaac’s breathing turning heavy as he kissed her back with ferocity she had never knew he was capable of as he sat up, Vanessa settled on his lap. She smiled through her kisses, pulling him close so that their hearts beat together. 

The knock on the door broke them apart, Vanessa jumping off his lap to sit next to the boy as the door creaked open and Lisa’s head peeped around. The blonde was smiling brightly as she took in their messy hair and red lips before declaring in a sing-song voice, “Shower’s available.” 

Vanessa gave her mother a thumbs up, dying inside as the woman winked before shutting the door behind her. The girl collapsed against the boy next to her, who chuckled in disbelief. 

“She isn’t subtle, is she?” he asked, turning to look down at the girl whose head was leaning against his shoulder. 

“Subtlety isn’t one of Lisa’s strong suits,” the girl replied, pulling back to look at him with a smile Isaac found himself lost in as she asked, “Did you want to go first?” 

“Sorry?” 

“To have a shower?” 

“Oh,” his eyes widened, nodding as he got up and pointed to the clothes on the desk, “Did you dry them?” 

“Yeah, just before you woke up.” 

“Thank you,” he murmured, smiling at her before walking out. 

The girl threw herself back onto the bed, giggling wildly as her fingers traced her lips, the echo of his kiss lingering there like a reminder. That he was there with her, he was real. She didn’t know what she did to deserve him, didn’t know what being looked down at her and decided that they would sit him directly across from her in Art that day but she wanted to kneel in front of that alter and promise her first born to whoever was responsible. 

Was it weird that she felt like this? That her heart had just latched onto this person in such a short time that he had eventually became a sort of lifeline for her? When she breathed, she breathed for him. When she looked up and saw the stars, his eyes flashed in her mind. And when she closed her eyes, she felt his lips against hers and knew she was dreaming because even in her sleep, he was there. 

Maybe she was overthinking it. They were teenagers and that meant that their feelings were all over the fucking place. In a week, this might mean nothing. But, to Vanessa, it was the now that counted. And the now was lying in her bed as the morning sunlight warmed her legs as she traced the shape of lips on her mouth, butterflies fluttering in her stomach for the boy in her shower. And she genuinely hoped to hold onto this feeling for as long as she could. 

She sat up, her reflection coming up to face her in the mirror and she almost threw herself out of her window. Her hair was a fucking birds nest, all knotted up like a hot mess. She couldn’t believe Isaac had actually put his hand in there, like God. He must really like her if he risked his hand getting bitten off. There had to be like ten ecosystems in there and they needed to go. _**NOW**_. 

Vanessa leaped up from her bed and snatched her hairbrush from the vanity as she ripped through the wild curls that yielded painfully to her harsh brushing. As soon as she was sure that she wouldn’t have to call Animal Control, she set about finding clothes for the day. She could tell that the temperature was rising slightly and therefore she needed to take advantage of the warm weather while she could, plucking up a sleeveless, peach colored dress that fit her like a glove and ended just above the knee. After picking out a tan belt to cinch the outfit together with and her matching leather jacket in case it got colder later in the day, she hurried off to the bathroom. 

Isaac was just walking out, curls wet and looking deliciously handsome as he strode towards her with a grateful smile. 

“I tried not to use all the hot water.” 

“That’s fine. I might need a cold shower – “ 

Vanessa shut her mouth, closing her eyes as she realized what she just said. Isaac was looking at her, mouth agape and eyes wide as he tried to think of something to say in reply to his – girlfriend? – insinuating she needed a cold shower to cool down from what they did before. 

Now that would be enough to fry any guys brain for at least a minute or two, but Isaac was special meaning he needed double the amount of time to process stuff like that. Which gave the red-faced girl in front of him ample time to move around him and into the bathroom, slamming her back against the bathroom door as she closed it behind her. 

_Stupid, motherfucking, talkative bitch with no filter._

_Get in the shower and think about what you’ve just done._

Vanessa grimaced the entire time the cold water dripped down her body as she banged her head against the glass shower door. Isaac could probably hear the continuous bashing of her head from her bedroom but then again, he could probably still be recovering from her earlier comment. God, why was she born like this? Why? 

After she stopped punishing herself, and the headache started to set in, she shut off the shower and towelled off. She slipped on her dress and took her jacket with her as she exited the bathroom, heart beating erratically as she headed to her bedroom. 

As soon as she slipped inside and closed the door behind her, he was in front of her, hands back in her hair as he crashed his lips onto hers. Vanessa dropped her jacket onto the floor as she fisted her hands in his hoodie, sliding them down and around his waist as she slipped her tongue between them to tease his. She drank up his answering groan hungrily, smirking inwardly as his own hands slid down to her waist, pulling her up against him. 

“You drive me crazy,” he breathed out when she pulled back, shaking his head down at the girl in his arms. 

“Good. That was kind of what I was going for,” she grinned up at him, getting on her tipy toes to give him one last kiss before she told him, “Now, quit that or we’ll never get to school on time.” 

“I’m kind of okay with that,” Isaac smiled at her, beckoning her back with promises of more of that before she shook her head, trying to snap out of it. 

“Nope. We’re going to school,” Vanessa pointed at him when he sighed, setting back on the bed as she came to stand over him, “Besides Coach will have your hide if you don’t show up.” 

The boy shuddered, hands having began to wander up her side before he pulled them back, “Yeah, well, now that you’ve brought up Coach.” 

The brunette threw her head back laughing, walking over to her closet and slipping on her brown ankle boots before grabbing a scrunchie to tie her hair back from her face. She bent down to pick her jacket up from the floor when she heard a sharp intake of breath behind her. Vanessa glanced over her shoulder at the boy on her bed, his eyes glued to her ass. Her eyes lit up mischievously before she turned back to her jacket, making a big show of taking her time to gather it up from the floor before whipping around quickly. 

“Busted!” she exclaimed, making him jump up guilty. 

“I was totally not looking at your ass.” 

“Liar,” she whispered, waltzing over to kiss him on the forehead as she murmured, “Don’t worry. I kind of liked it.” 

The girl winked at him before collecting her books and her purse, walking out of her bedroom and calling back teasingly, “Coming?” 

\- 

As they pulled up to school, she gave Isaac’s hand a tight squeeze before giving him a kiss goodbye. She would drop by after homeroom to see him practice but until then, he would be on his own in a locker room with her best friend who could sense others of his kind. She told Isaac this, advising him on staying out of sight and not acting suspiciously so as to avoid Scott’s attention before they separated. 

She caught sight of two girls walking up to the front door, hesitating as they did so and understandably why. Lydia Martin was returning to school for the first time since the winter formal and all eyes would be on her, whispering and taunting about the girl who ran naked in the woods for two days. The girl who was once revered as the top dog at the high school was now a social pariah. As was Allison, whose aunt was reported as being the mad arsonist who burnt eleven people alive in a house and was additionally charged for the animal attacks. As was Vanessa, who was still spat on for being the girl who had hid like a coward in her friend’s jeep when her friends were trapped in the school and running for their lives. 

“So, we going to do this or what, ladies?” the newcomer called up to them from the bottom of the steps, sashaying over like all was right in the world as she nodded in approval at Lydia’s dark red dress, “Nice outfit. Looks familiar.” 

“As does yours,” the strawberry blonde pursed her lips appreciatively as she turned to the dark haired girl next to her, who smiled nervously, “As to answer your earlier question, it’s not like my aunt’s a serial killer or I pissed myself in the back of a jeep.” 

“That never happened,” Vanessa grumbled as she hurried to catch up with them, nudging Allison out of her frown and following the blunt girl ahead of them into the building. 

As soon as they all walked in, everybody stopped what they were doing as if a pack of wolves had walked casually into a sheep’s pen and tried to pass themselves off as one of them. In other words, they were judged, whispered and stared at as they continued down the hall. 

“Maybe it’s the nine pounds?” Allison suggested quietly, noticing that their friend had started to actually process the fact she was not queen bee anymore. In fact, Lydia looked close to bolting as their classmates gave her a once over, as if they were just waiting for her to strip down and run about the halls like the lunatic they claimed her to be. 

Then, something amazing happened. She watched a goddess return in a matter of minutes, once a doe ready to run to a lion ready to prowl as Lydia pursed her lips once more, flipped her hair and proceeding to strut down the hall as the crowd parted like the Red Sea. Allison and Vanessa exchanged twin smirks as they followed her, the latter being extra petty and snidely commenting to a random passbyer. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” 

The girls split up to go to their respective homerooms, bracing for more stares and whispers that they chose to face with grace and poise that these idiots clearly didn’t possess. And that was okay because kids were dumbasses and they would grow out of it. Or they wouldn’t, and they would be a bitch to deal with when you ran into them at the local supermarket for your weekly grocery trip. 

Vanessa slid into her seat, early for the first time ever, as Harris appeared and quietened the room down. The girl quirked an eyebrow at him, one that the man rolled his eyes to as he turned his back on her. Smirking victoriously, she spun in her seat and leaned over to talk to her friend who was slouched down and looking like she was on her last battery. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

“Sure,” Erica mumbled back, blinking to keep her eyes open. 

“If you could get rid of your epilepsy, the seizures, the medication, all of it – would you?” 

“What do you think?” the girl scowled, her lack of sleep making her a little grouchy. 

That didn’t faze Vanessa though, considering that the girl was the same way if you woke her up in the morning. 

The brunette continued, “What if I told you I knew a way for that to happen?” 

“For what to happen?” 

“For your epilepsy to disappear.” 

“I’d say you need some sleep and some therapy, but I would be a hypocrite.” 

“ _God_ ,” Vanessa groaned, smiling slightly as she said, “I love it when you get like this. But serious, if I knew someone who could help you, would you do it?” 

“If they could get rid of it, I’d do it in a heartbeat,” Erica replied earnestly, “Why are you asking me this?” 

“Because I know a guy who would get rid of it a heartbeat.” 

The blonde girl studied her for a minute, eyes widening when she saw that her friend was being serious as she leaned forward, “You’re not joking? You actually know someone?” 

The hope in the girl’s eyes made her heart warm and Vanessa knew that she was doing the right thing as she nodded, “If you’re willing, I can have him meet with you?” 

“Yes,” her friend breathed out as she nodded vigorously, “God, yes please.” 

Tears welled up in Erica’s brown eyes as Vanessa reached out to hold her hand, whispering back, “It’s okay. Don’t cry, you’ll be okay. You’re finally getting what you’ve always wanted.” 

“Ness, you d-don’t know how-w much this m-means to me,” the girl stuttered quietly, wiping at her eyes as she grabbed both of her friend’s hands, smiling brightly, “Thank you.” 

“Don’t thank me, sweetie. You’ve been my friend since freshmen year. If you can put up with me for that long, you deserve this and more. But I do have to tell you, what he’s offering comes at a cost.” 

“I’ll pay it,” Erica replied without hesitation, a determined look settling in normally timid eyes as she emphasized, “I’ll do anything.” 

“Okay,” Vanessa murmured, smiling gently as she squeezed her friend’s hand. 

The bell for first period rang as the two girls got up with the rest of their class, heading out before the others as the brunette cocked her head in the direction of the lacrosse fields, “I’m heading out to watch the practice. Did you want to come with?” 

“Yeah,” the girl nodded, smiling hesitantly as she said, “I think I will.” 

They headed out into the warm Tuesday morning, walking to the bleachers littered with students taking advantage of their free period to study in the outdoors and watch their friends play. Vanessa led Erica to the back of the bleachers, dropping off her stuff as she turned to the girl. 

“I’m just gonna say hi to the boys but I will be right back.” 

“That’s fine.” 

The brunette started down to the bottom bench where her two best friends were murmering to each other about something when she appeared behind them, leaning on their shoulders as her eyes searched the field for number ’14’. 

“What’s going on, boys?” 

“There’s a werewolf on the lacrosse team,” Scott explained, quickly getting over his shock as he turned back to the field. 

Vanessa swallowed, heart beating faster as she attempted to joke, “Yeah, I know. He’s sitting right in front of me.” 

“There’s another one, Nessa,” the boy threw an annoyed glare over his shoulder, “He’s out there and we need to find out who.” 

“What if you can get him one on one?” Stiles posed, pulling on his arm pads as he asked, “Would that help?” 

“Yeah,” Scott nodded, eyes alight and ready. 

The girl behind them groaned as the boy with the buzz cut announced that he had an idea, running off after Coach as Vanessa took his spot, crossing one leg over the other as she questioned Scott on whether or not he could be wrong. 

“No, there was definitely a scent.” 

“So, all werewolves share a distinct scene?” 

“Seems like it,” he shrugged, pulling on his gloves as Stiles scrambled back to him with a stick that he shoved into Scott’s chest. 

“I told Coach you’re switching with Danny for the day.” 

“But I hate playing goal,” Scott pointed out, looking down with his brows furrowed. 

“Remember when I said I had an idea? This is the idea,” Stiles explained, waving his hands at Scott. 

Vanessa rolled her eyes at them as they both nodded, Scott finally getting it. Except he didn’t. 

“What’s the idea?” he asked. 

“I seriously don’t understand how you survive without me sometimes,” Stiles sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. 

“Neither do I,” the girl next to them muttered as Coach blew the whistle. 

The two boys bounded up, heading off onto the field as she called after them, “Is this really a good idea? Guys?” 

Vanessa threw her arms up, giving up on getting through to them as she headed back up to sit beside Erica as the warmups began. The boys split the field in half, a group lining up on one side to try to make a shot at the goal while Scott headed to the other end to defend the goal. 

“Which one is Isaac?” Erica whispered to her, watching as her friend’s eyes seemed to glue on a particular player. 

“Number 14,” Vanessa replied without hesitation, smiling slightly as the boy in question turned his head towards them, having heard them from across the field. The girl smiled at him, winking as he turned back around. Erica saw this and gasped. 

“When did the two of you get together?!” 

“ _Shhhh_ ,” the brunette rushed to shut up her friend before Scott could hear, explaining quietly, “Winter formal. Still haven’t told the boys yet so you have to keep it quiet.” 

The blonde made an ‘o’ shape with her mouth, nodding in understanding as she smiled sheepishly as she whispered, “Yep, sorry. It’s just that, this is your _first_ boyfriend. This is a big thing.” 

“It is,” Vanessa agreed, as her focus turned back to the field, “Therefore, it must be handled with the greatest care.” 

“Do you really think your friends will react badly?” 

“Not you or the girls but Scott and Stiles? I’m like their little sister.” 

“Good point.” 

Vanessa watched as the first player attempted to shoot a goal, but before he could even approach the defensive line, Scott had sprinted from his position and tackled him to the ground. It was when he leaned down close to the other player’s side that she realized what Stiles’ plan was. Scott would get in close, sniff the player’s side for a fresh bite or whatever it was that would give off the scent and identify him. The girl whipped her head to Isaac, who watched alongside the rest of his team as Coach chewed her best friend out for leaving his position. 

_Shit, this was not going to end well._

Matt, the guy who was caught taking photos at the funeral, was up next. The boy sprinted towards the goal with his stick in one hand as Scott charged him, sending the boy over his back. Then it was Danny, Scott sending the loveable boy down on the ground and collapsing on top of him. How it always ended up looking like they were a couple, she had no idea. But that didn’t concern right now. What did was Jackson leaving the line to sit out, mumbling some excuse to the Coach as he sat down on the benches. 

Just as she was about to pray that Scott had remembered her telling him Jackson was bitten, Isaac went up next and she knew by looking at the boy for two seconds that he was a ticking time bomb that was ready to reveal he was Derek’s other Beta. The boy’s shoulders heaved heavily, signs of fierce temper strewn across his tense muscles as he caught the ball Coach tossed him and began sprinting towards the goal. The two boys flew at each other, crashing hard enough to send them both to the ground on all fours. They both rose up and Vanessa watched horrified, knowing her boyfriend had changed. Knowing her two best friends knew his secret. Knowing that they were all so fucking screwed. 

Movement from the other end of the field caught her attention and her breathe hitched in her lungs as the Sheriff and two deputies approached the players. 

“No, no, no, no, no,” she muttered, eyes wide as she stood up from her seat. 

“What? What’s wrong?” Erica asked her friend, brows furrowed in concern as the brunette’s face went white. 

Vanessa didn’t reply, watching as the Sheriff spoke to the Coach, who beckoned over Isaac to the intimidating looking group. The girl bounded down from the bleachers, jogging over to her best friends as they gathered around to watch. 

“What’s wrong?” she echoed Erica’s earlier question, eyes fixated on her boyfriend. 

“His dad’s dead,” Scott explained, missing his best friend’s flinch from the other side of Stiles as he continued, “They think he was murdered.” 

“Are they saying he’s a suspect?” Stiles questioned, turning to Scott as Vanessa covered her mouth in horror. 

_No. He can’t be. There were no witnesses. They don’t have anything to link him to the murder._

“I’m not sure, why?” 

“Because they can lock him in a holding cell for 24 hours.” 

“Like overnight?” 

“During the full moon.” 

“How good are these holding cells at holding people?” Scott questioned, frowning as he turned to the boy next to him. 

“People good. Werewolves? Probably not that good.” 

Vanessa had already turned away from the conversation after that, hurrying back to the bleachers to get her stuff before heading back into the school where she saw the Sheriff walk inside the principal’s office. Figuring she could get more information following her godfather, she peeked around the corner as Jackson, of all people, was waved in and she knew the bastard had something to do with why Isaac was being suspected. 

She creeped over to the chairs, intent on waiting out the meeting until her two friends joined her after being sent out of Chemistry by Harris. Taking advantage of Scott’s enhanced hearing, he recounted that Jackson lived across the street from the Lahey’s and therefore saw Isaac’s dad abusing him. Just hearing Scott say that Jackson knew the whole time and didn’t say anything made her want to kick down the door and squeeze the life out of the boy, Derek’s pack or not. The Sheriff walked out alongside the boy, staring in disappointment at the three of them sitting there as Stiles scrambled for a magazine. 

Vanessa, however, was pissed beyond relief, glaring holes into Jackson’s smirking face as he began to walk back to his class without a care in the world. She couldn’t restrain herself, lunging out of her chair and sprinting after him as she kicked out with her boot. The boy, unprepared for the attack, tripped and fell onto the ground as she climbed on top of him, growling savagely in his face. 

“You fucking piece of _**shit**_ ,” she screamed, rearing back her hand to hit him in the face when an iron grip held it back. 

“Now, now, Miss O’Connor,” a cold voice echoed through the empty hall at her as the grip on her hand pulled her up and turned her, so she was face to face with Gerard Argent, “Violence isn’t tolerated in _my_ school.” 

“ _What?_ ” she breathed out, fear coating her insides as he grinned at her. 

“Although, I think that rule has been here a lot longer than I have so students should have learnt it by now,” he rambled on as he led her to where her friend’s and the Sheriff all gaped at them, “Since all three of you have broken school rules, it is only fitting you all join me in my office.” 

The two boys didn’t know who to be shocked by, their friend going savage on Jackson for seemingly no reason or Allison’s grandfather coming out of the principal’s office they had all found themselves in not five minutes later as the old man took out their school records, flipping through them with interest. 

Stiles had been shooting Vanessa wary looks since they sat down, still confused at why she was so angry while Scott had fixated his attention on the hunter sitting across from them. 

“Scott McCall,” Gerard read out, smirking slightly as he said, “Academically, not the most accomplished but I see you have become quite a star athlete.” 

“Mr. Stilinski,” he continued, turning towards the boy with the buzz cut who was slouched in his chair like he was lounging on a couch at home, “Oh, perfect grades but little to no extra curriculars. Maybe you should try lacrosse.” 

“Oh, actually I’m already – “ 

“And Vanessa O’Connor, who I had the pleasure of being introduced to already,” Gerard smiled at her, ignoring Stiles completely as he pulled out her report to read from, “More artistically inclined. History of fights and altercations with both teachers and students. Now, that is just disappointing, young lady.” 

“What can I say? I – “ 

“Now hold on,” the old man interrupted once more, holding up a finger as he considered Scott more closely, “McCall. You’re the Scott that was dating my granddaughter.” 

The two teenagers on either side of the boy in the hot seat coughed into their hands something that suspiciously sounded like, “Awkward.” 

Both Gerard and Scott ignored them as the latter stammered out, “We were dating but not anymore. Not dating, not seeing any of each other or doing anything with each other at all.” 

Vanessa internally cringed at her friend’s cover up – because anyone with any sense could tell he was lying out of his ass. The girl trained her eyes on the old man, who leaned back in amusement as he smirked. 

“Relax, Scott, you look like you’re about to crack a cyanide pill with your teeth.” 

“Just a hard breakup,” her best friend murmured. 

Vanessa softened, sending him a sympathetic glance because she knew that his words were true in a way. It was hard for both him and Allison to take the halls of their school and pretend not to be in love love with each other. It was hard for them to sneak out of their homes every night and dodge their parents just to spend time together. It was hard for them not to claim that they love each other as proudly and lovingly as they did the night of the winter formal. 

The girl might be having her own relationship drama – with the whole boyfriend being arrested and held in a holding cell on the night of his first full moon because he was suspected of murdering his father and all – but she had to remind herself that there was shit going on with her friends and she needed to be more supportive and sensitive to that. 

“Oh, that’s too bad. You seem like a pretty nice kid to me,” Gerard regarded him, seemingly sympathetic. 

The girl wasn’t fooled though. She felt that man’s coldness, felt it in the way Derek told her off his declaration of war. She knew this man had no mercy, no kindness and no warmth – nothing genuine at least. He was as cold as the metal he was named after and would be as unrelenting in his trajectory as a bullet in a gun. A man like this would tear through the weak, the vulnerable and all the way to the tough and defiant until there was nothing more than a body waiting to be buried. 

“Now, listen guys. Yes, I am the principal, but I really don’t want you to think of me as the enemy.” 

“Heh, is that so?” Stiles laughed, exchanging a glance with his two best friends next to him. 

“However, this being my first day, I do need to support my teachers,” Gerard continued, ignoring the boy, “So, unfortunately, someone is going to have to take the fall and stay behind for detention. Miss O’Connor will be staying as I witnessed her misconduct, so I am sorry, my dear, but that is non-negotiable.” 

The girl shrugged as the man pinned his eyes on Stiles, raising an eyebrow expectantly. Scott turned to look at the boy beside them, who frowned incredulously, eyes darting around the room at the them all before settling back with a groan, “Fine.” 

“Now, off to class all of you,” he waved his hands at them, “I hope that we don’t have any more meetings like this.” 

As soon as she was out of the office and her friends had walked out of the man’s earshot, she rolled her eyes, “Yeah, he’d rather have meetings in the middle of the forest right before he cuts us in half.” 

“Cuts _me_ in half,” Scott corrected, glancing back at the office with distress coloring his tone, “You guys are human.” 

“Yeah but do you think he will care about that when he learns we’re helping you. That we would die before we would let anything happen to you?” Vanessa shot back, shaking her head at him, “He will kill us all if he thinks we’re gonna get in the way of that vendetta of his.” 

“How do you know that? We only met with the guy for five minutes,” Stiles interjected, scrunching up his face. 

“Because that isn’t the first time I met him. He talked to me at the funeral and I literally spent the next day cowering at home because of how fucking scary he was,” she explained, shivering at the memory before adding, “Plus, did you see the way he looked at Scott? The man didn’t hesitate before throwing you in detention, Stiles, didn’t give two shits about the two of us. It always went back to Scott.” 

“Well, the dude ‘was’ dating his granddaughter.” 

“ _Is_ ,” Scott corrected quietly, “Is dating his granddaughter.” 

“Whatever,” the boy with the buzz cut rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest when he turned to the girl in front of them, finally addressing what the two boys had been milling over since before the meeting, “What about we discuss you going all G.I Joe on Jackson back there, Nessa? What the hell was that about?” 

Vanessa sighed, running a hand through her hair as she asked quietly, “Can I be honest? Promise you won’t hate me and just hear me out.” 

“Ness,” Scott’s hand landed on her arm, turning the girl so that she looked at him, “You’re our best friend. We could never hate you.” 

The boy nudged Stiles when he didn’t say anything, prompting the other boy to sigh, “Of course we won’t hate you. You might be a pain in the ass, but we love you – most of the time.” 

He smiled softly to show that he was joking – _mostly_ – giving her the confidence to stand up straighter. 

“Remember how I didn’t tell you who my date for winter formal was?” she asked, the boys both nodding hesitantly before she continued on, “It was Isaac. I’ve been seeing him ever since.” 

“Did you know about -?” 

She nodded back, grimacing as she revealed, “I offered to get my mom to get him out of that house, but he didn’t want us to do anything. I was going to respect that but the night of the formal, his dad literally chased him down the street and when I went to take him back to mine later that night, he wouldn’t let me. He made me drop him back off and told me he didn’t want to ruin my night.” 

The girl sniffed, eyes turning glassy as she said, “Guys, please. I know you might not trust me now, but please help him.” 

“You knew, didn’t you?” Scott asked quietly, eyes searching her wide eyes, “That he was bitten?” 

“Who do you think asked Derek to do it?” Vanessa retorted, blinking back tears as she bit back, “I wasn’t going to let my boyfriend keep damning himself to that man! I thought that, at least with super enhanced healing and strength, he might be able to actually defend himself.” 

“Nice job, Ness,” Stiles rolled his eyes sarcastically as he whispered harshly, “You got your pal Derek to give your boyfriend superpowers he couldn’t control and he used them to murder his asshole father. Congratulations.” 

“ _He didn’t do it_ ,” she grounded out, eyes flashing warningly as she explained, “He was on his way to mine when his father came after him. He hid in an alley, waiting until his father gave up but then something happened.” 

“What?” Scott asked, moving to block the other boy’s wary mumblings so that he looked her in her eyes, “What happened?” 

“Isaac said he saw something. Something that ran at his father. On all fours.” 

“How do we know your boyfriend didn’t just make it up.” 

“Look, if we can get to him, Scott can listen to his heart beat,” she reasoned, throwing up her hands at the boy before turning back to the werewolf and adding, “But there was one other thing that convinced me it wasn’t him. He said that he heard two sounds when the thing went after his father. Screams and a loud screech.” 

“A screech?” Scott frowned at her, tilting his head as he thought it over. 

Vanessa nodded, “A screech. Not a howl or a growl.” 

“How do we know your boyfriend wasn’t listening to his own girly noises when he found out he wolfed out on him?” Stiles once again question unhelpfully. 

Vanessa loved him like a brother. She really did. But right now, she wanted nothing more than to knock him in the head a few thousand times. With her fist. With the addition of brass knuckles. The girl, instead, settled for hissing out, “And if he did? You really want your dad and my mom to be his next victims tonight?” 

Stiles gulped, glaring at her as he snapped, “So, you do think he’s lying?” 

“No,” she quipped without any hesitation, “But if he’s innocent right now, he won’t be for much longer if he’s still in that holding cell by the time the moon crests.” 

“Wait,” Scott held up his hands, head turning in the direction of the carpark before he said, “He’s still here.” 

“ _ **What?!**_ ” Vanessa shrieked as her best friend bolted towards the front of the school. 

She and Stiles exchanged a look before running after him, almost knocking into the boy who stood in front on the steps watching as the squad car began to pull out of the carpark, Isaac glancing back in them in fear. Vanessa gasped as her eyes met his. She made to run forward, intent on chasing down the car in only her ankle boots and fury before Scott snatched her back. She saw Isaac nod at Scott in gratitude as the car turned out onto the main road. 

Not even a second later, Derek’s Camaro pulled up, the man himself leaning down to watch them as he demanded, “Get in.” 

“Are you serious?” Scott cried out, turning to point at the squad car, “You did that. That’s _your_ fault.” 

Vanessa whipped around to face her best friend, defending Derek, “It’s _my_ fault. I asked him to turn Isaac.” 

“Nessa,” the man sighed from behind her, “It’s okay, Scott’s right.” 

The dark-haired werewolf turned his attention back on Scott, “I know that. Now get in the car and help me.” 

“No, I’ve got a better idea,” Scott retorted, approaching the car, “I’m gonna call a lawyer. Because a lawyer might actually have a chance at getting him out before the moon goes up.” 

“Not when they do a real search of the house,” Derek argued back, nodding at Vanessa who blanched. 

“What do you mean?” her best friend asked, turning to her, “What does he mean?” 

“The freezer,” she breathed out, shaking her head as more tears slid down her cheeks, “ _Oh god_.” 

“Whatever Jackson said to the cops, what’s in the house is worse,” Derek explained, his voice grave. 

“A lot worse,” Vanessa reaffirmed, grabbing onto Scott’s jacket to plead with him, “Please, Scotty. Just go with him.” 

The boy glanced at them both, considering his options before sighing. Derek opened the door for him as the boy took off his bag to hop in, the dark-haired man turning to talk to the girl who came forward to lean down at the window to ask her, “Are you coming?” 

“Not right now. Me and Stiles have detention and we can’t risk ditching it,” she explained, the man giving her a raised eyebrow as she rolled her eyes, “We’ll catch up.” 

The silent _I’ll explain later_ was received as Derek nodded at her before Scott closed the car door and the two headed out of the parking lot, leaving her there with Stiles who had been quiet the whole time. She made to slide past the boy to head back inside when he spoke up quietly, “I know you care out him, Ness. But you need to think of this objectively.” 

“Right,” she snorted, turning to fix him with a deadpan look, “Like how objective you were thinking about Lydia when we were discussing the possibility of her going around and munching on dead people’s livers like it was french toast?” 

“Okay, you have a slight point. But she wasn’t a werewolf,” he reasoned. 

“Yes, but we didn’t know that at the time. And we still tried to help her.” 

“Okay, but I’m actually in love with the girl. How long have you known Isaac for?” 

“Long enough that I can’t breathe without him,” she quipped back, throwing her hands up as she exclaimed, “You don’t understand it either, Stiles. Every time I broke down, every time I had a panic attack, he was there to pull me right back out of it. And when he wasn’t, his voice was. He was the only reason I was able to remain sane while I was in your jeep that night Peter attacked us. He was the reason I was able to walk back into school and ignore the rumors and whispers that called me a _freak_ and a _coward_. He was the reason I didn’t pass out in Derek’s front yard the night of the winter formal.” 

She leaned against the lockers, banging her head back into them, “You’re right. I haven’t known him as long as you’ve known Lydia, but that doesn’t matter to me. He’s helped me every time I needed him and right now, he needs me.” 

The boy was silent before he came to stand with her, gazing down at her with a sigh as he asked, “You really like him? Like _really_ like him?” 

“Not to the point where he’s my default answer to everything but not too far behind the way you look at Lydia when she walks into a room,” she replied, blinking up hopefully at him as he considered her words before letting out a groan. 

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.”


	6. Broken Arrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the full moon rises in the night sky, four teenagers and our resident sour wolf race to rescue the newly turned Isaac Lahey from shifting in a station full of people - and a hunter dressed as a deputy determined to put a rabid dog down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the pause there. I've been experience writers block and don't want to upload it all in one go because I haven't technically finished part 2 of this series. But because of a nice comment, I decided to upload this chapter today. 
> 
> I know that you guys might not want to go through the bother of writing a comment or you don't know what to say, it's just good to hear that you're on the right track. That people appreciate the work you do. So just leave a kudos and a comment to tell me what you thought and what you might hope for in later chapters x

“Harris is gonna be such a pain now,” Vanessa whined as her and Stiles left the school after spending two gruelling hours with the smug teacher who was taking advantage of the fact the girl who had been blackmailing him didn’t seem to be too keen on doing it anymore. She had gotten through those two hours by imagining ever single possible way she could make that gloating smirk disappear from his pale face. 

“Since when _isn’t_ Harris a pain?” 

“Since I was able to use his past history with Kate Argent against him. Can’t do that with the chick’s father breathing down our necks,” she snarked as the boy beside her pulled out his phone. 

Allison had been calling for the last half an hour, the two teenagers immediately remembering that the Argents had connections in the Sheriff’s department and therefore would know that the crime scene would look suspiciously like the so-called ‘ _animal attacks_ ’ they were ‘ _experts in_ ’. 

Stiles put the call on speaker as they hopped into the jeep, Allison’s voice crackling through the phone with urgency. 

“Well, we need to do something right now. They were asking me all these questions about Lydia and how she was bitten by Peter, and then they sent this guy out - " 

“Wait, what guy?” the boy asked, frowning at the girl next to him who shook her head silently to show she didn't know. 

“He was dressed as a Sheriff’s deputy,” the girl on the phone responded. 

The two teenagers in the jeep nodded in realization as Stiles stated, “They’re sending him to the station for Isaac.” 

Vanessa inhaled sharply as Allison continued, “He was also carrying this box with something on it, like, um, like a carving or something.” 

“What was it?” 

“Hold on, hold on. It’s in one of these books,” they could hear the sound of pages being flipped through the phone and waited for their friend to get back to them, “I’m taking a picture.” 

The digital shutter of her phone clicked across the line as Stiles pulled up the message. The two sighed, the girl leaning back with her teeth gritted in a grimace. 

“Did you get it?” 

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded to himself, before explaining, “Wolfsbane.” 

“What does that mean?” 

The boy exchanged a careful look at the girl breathing hard from beside him before continuing on. 

“It means they’re going to kill him.” 

Vanessa rose her head slowly, eyes hard and unforgiving as she asked her friend on the phone, “Can you get out of the house tonight?” 

“I told them I was going to Lydia’s to study, why?” 

“You think you can take a detour?” 

The girl waited a minute to respond and they could hear the smile in her voice over the phone as she said, “I think I can manage that.” 

“Are you as good at shooting moving targets as you are at motionless?” 

“Better even. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” 

“I’m thinking that it’s time for you to go on a hunt,” Vanessa grinned mischievously as her friend replied. 

“I’ll get back to you when I’ve dealt with him.” 

The call beeped to signal it ended, the brunette settling back against the seat as Stiles stared at her in horror. 

“What the _hell_ was that?” 

“That’s what happens when someone tries to kill my boyfriend, sweetie,” she smiled sweetly at him before reminding him to keep his eyes on the road. 

They waited in silence for Allison to call back, the boy still trying to process how vicious his friend could really be – and thankful it wasn’t towards **him** – as they headed towards the station. It was about ten minutes later when the phone rang out again. 

“Hey, did you manage to slow him down?” Stiles asked, praying the guy wasn’t dead. 

“You could say that,” Allison replied vaguely, sounding very impressed with herself. 

Vanessa smirked beside him as the boy tried not to think about some random guy stuck in the middle of nowhere with arrows in him, choosing instead to tell the girl on the phone, “Alright, well, um, uh, I’m headed to the station right now.” 

“Where’s Scott?” Allison asked suddenly, having realized she hadn’t heard her boyfriend the entire time. 

“Isaac’s,” Stiles replied, having gotten a text from his best friend claiming he wanted to check out the house to see if there was any sign that Vanessa was wrong about her boyfriend being innocent. 

“Does he have a plan?” 

“Yeah, but not a very good one and unfortunately we don’t really have time to come up with anything better.” 

The boy hung up, throwing his phone down into the compartment beside the two as he sped up. 

Vanessa sighed, glancing at him as she said, “Stiles?” 

Her best friend hummed back, turning to her quick before looking back at the road. 

“Thank you. I know you have your doubts, but I believe he didn’t do it. I saw his eyes, Stiles, they were gold.” 

“Okay, fun facts. Mine's brown.” 

“No, I mean his wolf’s are still gold. Haven’t you ever wondered why Derek’s eyes are blue while Scott’s are gold?” 

“No, actually,” the boy cocked his head, brows furrowing as he continued, “I’ve never thought about it. I always thought it was just the color of werewolves who had been born instead of bitten.” 

“You would learn so much more if Scott would let Derek teach him,” she muttered quietly before explaining, “All werewolves originally start off with golden eyes. If they fight and defeat an Alpha, their eyes turn red. But if a werewolf with golden eyes takes a life, his eyes turn blue.” 

“Wait – does that mean Derek – “ 

“Yes, but that’s not the point – “ 

“Um, excuse me. That’s not something to gloss over, Nessa, he’s _killed_ someone – “ 

“Allison just shot a guy with an arrow – “ 

“Well,” he gulped, not looking at her as he shrugged, “I wasn’t really a fan of that idea, but I think he’s still alive – that’s what counts.” 

“Anyway, that doesn't matter. What matters is that Isaac’s eyes are still golden,” she explained, turning around and crossing her arms over her chest as she stubbornly declared, “Which means he didn’t do it.” 

“Okay, fine,” he rolled his eyes at her, mumbling to himself, “ _God_ , you’re such a toddler.” 

“And you’re not?” she shook her head at him, quirking a brow when he didn’t respond before smirking victoriously, “That’s what I thought.” 

Her phone beeped with a text from Derek as Stiles leaned over to look at the full moon with concern alit in his eyes. 

**DEREK: _Pick me up at Isaac’s house._**

**VANESSA: _What were you doing there anyway?_**

**DEREK: _I’ll explain later._**

“Hey, pull down this street. We need to pick someone up,” she pointed out to Stiles, waiting until he swerved to make the turn before turning back to her phone. 

“Why?” the boy frowned at her, leaning over to read her texts before shaking his head, “Nope. No freakin' way is _he_ getting in my jeep.” 

“Too late,” she whispered as she sighted the werewolf leaning against a streetlight a few houses over from Isaac’s. 

Stiles looked as if he was content to drive past him but as they neared Derek, the man merely raised an eyebrow as if daring the boy to keep driving. Her best friend sighed in defeat, pulling up beside him as Vanessa moved to the back of the boot, gingerly crouching down as she fought to keep calm. 

_Don’t turn around. Keep your eyes on the road. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out._

Derek hopped in, turning to look at her in concern as he asked, “Are you going to be okay back there?” 

“Why wouldn’t she – “ Stiles’ mouth formed an ‘o’ as realization settled in, glancing back at the girl as he asked, “You could sit in the middle if you wanted?” 

“I’m fine,” she breathed out, clutching the seats in front of her as she kept her eyes on the road, “Just hurry, okay?” 

“Sure thing,” the boy nodded as he started the jeep and headed down the street. 

Derek didn’t take his eyes off her as she fought to keep her breathing steady. The floor of the boot was as hard and cold as she remembered it, the worn picnic blanket doing nothing to protect her exposed knees as her nails dug into the seat ahead of her. 

Suddenly, a warm hand slipped under hers as her nails dug into skin instead of leather. Her eyes darted to Derek, who gripped her hand tightly. 

“It’ll be over soon. We’re almost there,” he murmured to her, keeping her eyes on him as she breathed in and out. In and out. In and out, “We’re here.” 

Stiles parked in front of the station, turning around as Vanessa hopped into the front to squeeze in beside Derek, breathing levelled out. 

“We’re all good?” the boy asked, giving her a once over while she weakly threw a thumbs up, her best friend smiling back, “Thatta girl.” 

He turned his attention to Derek, who had slipped his hand out of the girl’s grip without a word and had turned to inspect the building, specifically the female officer working inside. 

“Okay, now the keys to every cell are in a password protected lockbox in my father’s office. The problem is getting past the front desk.” 

“I’ll distract her,” the man beside the two teenagers shrugged, heading to hop out before Stiles reached a hand around to stop him. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa – _**you?**_ ” he asked incredulously, “You, you’re not going in there!” 

Derek blinked down at the hand clutching his shoulder and back up at the audacious owner until Stiles eventually realized what he did, snatching his hand off in surrender. 

“I was exonerated,” the man pointed out. 

“You’re still a person of interest.” 

“An _innocent_ person.” 

“An – _you?_ ” Stiles laughed humourlessly, shaking his head in sarcasm, “Yeah, right!” 

Derek stared back at him, unblinking and unrelenting until the boy sighed in defeat, “Okay, fine. What’s you plan?” 

“To distract her,” Derek repeated slowly, frowning as if Stiles needed to catch up. Vanessa hid a grin, loving how this little exchange played out. It almost made her forget that her boyfriend was in lockup and the full moon was getting a little bit higher in the sky. Almost. 

“Uh huh, how?” Stiles shrugged, waiting expectantly, “By punching her in the face?” 

“By talking to her.” 

“Okay, alright, give me a sample. What are you gonna open with?” 

Derek sighed, blinking as he tried to come up with something before turning back to Stiles. 

“Dead silence,” the boy nodded as if he didn’t expect anything better, “That should work beautifully. Any other ideas?” 

“I’m thinking about punching you in the face,” the man suggested, watching as the boy gaped at him. 

Vanessa had had enough of the foreplay and leaned forward to interrupt them before the werewolf could make good on his threat, “Okay, enough flirting. Derek, go do your thing. Stiles, we’re going to slip in after him and head to your dad’s office. Let’s go.” 

“I was _not_ flirting,” Stiles mumbled as they all hopped out of the car, heading up the stairs as Derek went through the door first. 

The two teenagers snuck around to watch as the man strode in slowly, coming to stand by the front desk uncertainly before the female officer from the window came to ask how she could help. Vanessa jerked back, horrified at the grin that Derek gave the woman as the officer looked at him in surprise. 

_God, is that what it looks like when he smiles? It’s so pretty, why does it look pretty?_

Stiles rolled his eyes from beside her as Derek started off his distraction with making out like he was thrown off guard by how beautiful the officer was. It seemed to hit home because the woman leaned forward, giggling as she fluttered her lashes at him. Vanessa dragged a confused Stiles towards his father’s office, sending a thumbs up to Derek as she went. 

The boy headed for the lockbox, entering in the code and opening it up to reveal the keys were gone. They heard them jangling from down the hall, the kids exchanging panicked looks as they scrambled out of the office to where a set of bloody tracks trekked in the direction of the cells. 

“Shit. How is he still walking after that?” she hissed, heading after him with Stiles on her heels. 

“Maybe they initiate hunters by sticking an arrow or a bullet in them, see how fast they can walk afterwards. This guy must’ve been first pick,” Stiles suggested sarcastically, as they ran to catch up. 

They were almost to the cells when the guy cut out right in front of them. All eyes darted to the broken arrow sticking out of his leg before the man slowly raised his head to glare at them menacingly. The two kids turned to run but Stiles was yanked back and held in a choke hold as the hunter tightened his grip in warning. 

“Follow me and don’t make a sound if you want your friend to live,” he grunted, heaving a struggling Stiles down the hall as Vanessa nodded, walking after them. 

“I thought you guys had a fucking code. But I guess you’re not all as high and mighty as you people pretend to be." 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, girl.” 

Vanessa stopped, shaking her head as humourless laughter escaped her throat. 

“Don’t call me girl." 

She jerked to the side quickly to pull the fire alarm. 

The hunter groaned, throwing Stiles to the ground to pull a syringe out of his pocket. Vanessa went to try to take it from him when she froze. Stiles shuffled back, eyes locked on the cell behind the hunter as he got to his feet. The man in front of them turned around slowly, eyes widening at the sight before him. The cell door was hanging off it’s hinges, dented and open, the previous occupant gone. 

“Shit,” she hissed out, holding an arm to still Stiles from beside her as she whispered, “Don’t move.” 

A loud roar came from their right as something grabbed the hunter and threw him against the wall. The two teenagers scrambled over to the other side of the room as the hunter went to raise his syringe but was stopped by the creature in front of him, a clawed grip settling on his wrist. Vanessa watched with a hand over her mouth as the creature bent the arm at an awkward angle before shoving the guy’s head into the wall, effectively knocking him out. 

Derek ran in, stomping on the wolfsbane syringe on the ground and drawing the attention of the creature who snapped around, considering the newcomer before settling on the two teenagers against the wall. The girl had unknowingly moved forward before Stiles pulled her back beside him, arms tightening his hold on her. The creature growled out, it’s eyes, golden and furious, locked on that hand on her arm. It made to lunge at them when Derek let out a roar. 

The creature whimpered, scrambling to the floor in submission as it cowered in on itself. Tears welled up in Vanessa’s eyes at seeing it like that, at seeing _him_ like that, the creature’s head rose to reveal his human face, staring up at them with wide, regretful eyes. Deep set blue eyes. 

“Isaac,” she whispered, making to move towards him when she was stopped again. 

She turned to her best friend who still held her back, his attention having drifted to the Alpha now staring at them with a raised eyebrow. 

“How did you do that?” Stiles asked, breathing heavily. 

Derek smirked before shrugging like it was obvious, “I’m the Alpha.” 

Vanessa didn’t give two shits about who the fucking Alpha was, still fixated on the boy shivering on the ground. Sweat and tears ran down his face as he turned away from her. She pulled out of Stiles’ grip, running for the other side of the room as she fell to her knees beside her boyfriend. 

She extended a handout to him and flinched as he shied away from it. 

“Isaac, please,” she quietly pleaded, making to touch him again, “It’s okay. It’s over, you’re okay.” 

“I’m a monster, I’m a monster,” she heard him breathe out, his head shaking, “You have to get away from me. I don’t want to hurt you, Nessa, I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“Hey,” she called out to him softly, fingers hovering over his arm, “You didn’t hurt me. I’m okay, I’m here. You save us, okay? You saved us all.” 

“But I could have – “ 

“Even if you had, I would never think you’re a monster,” she admitted, the boy stilling as he looked up at her through the gaps, “You will never be a monster. Not to me.” 

“But – “ 

Her fingers settled on his arm gently as she crept towards him, “And if you don’t believe, then fine. But if you’re going to be a monster, you’re my monster. And I will always be there for you.” 

“You shouldn’t, I don’t deserve it – “ 

“You deserve that and more,” she whispered, gently pulling back his arm to link their hands together as she murmured, “I’m here and I’m never leaving you.” 

He studied her for a moment, blue eyes darting nervously as they searched her own for any doubts she may hide or any fears she may feel. He found none. She was serious when she told him she was never leaving him, not on her part. If anyone was going to leave, it would be his choice. Because hers would always lead her to him. 

Derek chose to broke up the little moment they were having as he came to tower over them, informing them that the rest of the Sheriff’s department just pulled up outside. Vanessa nodded in understanding, using their linked hands to help Isaac to his feet. 

“We’re going to have to lay low for a while,” Derek told them, placing a hand on Isaac’s shoulders, “He can’t stay here and risk another hunter coming after him.” 

“Do what you have to do,” was all she said in reply as she turned to the boy next to her. 

“Derek’s going to protect you but as soon as it’s safe to do so, I will come see you, okay?” 

Isaac nodded, tightening his hand around hers before letting Derek lead him out the emergency exit. She watched them, eyes still on the door even after they disappeared through it while Stiles scrambled over to her, staring at the body on the floor in silence as footsteps echoed down the hall. A few seconds later, the Sheriff appeared, his eyes darting from the open cell door to the unconscious man on the ground and then over to his son and goddaughter standing in the middle of it all. 

The older man raised his eyebrows at them, waiting for an explanation. The two teenagers spun around before pointing at the man on the floor and simultaneously declaring, “He did it.” 

\- 

“Care to explain what you were doing in the station tonight?” Sarah asked on their way home. 

Her mother had shown up just a few minutes after the Sheriff had arrived, doing a doubletake when she found her daughter in the middle of the holding area with her best friend and an unconscious body while the chief suspect in a murder case had seemingly disappeared. Of course, the pair immediately bullshitted their way out of it by claiming that they had snuck in to check on Isaac and found some random person masquerading as a deputy and trying to kill the boy. After the two saved their friend by knocking out the stranger, Isaac had fled the scene. 

“I get that you wanted to see him, but couldn’t you wait for me?” her mother asked, sighing in disappointment as she murmured quietly, “I thought we trusted each other.” 

“I’m sorry,” the girl apologized, turning to her mother with desperate eyes, “But I didn’t want to chance you saying no. I needed to see him after everything that happened. I can’t believe they think he murdered his dad.” 

“They have a lot of evidence against him, kiddo. The abuse, that kid Jackson witnessing the fight – it doesn’t look good.” 

“But you know he was with me last night!” 

“How long did it take him to get to our house?” 

Jerking back like she had been slapped, Vanessa turned around to look outside as she mumbled, “I thought you liked him.” 

“I still do,” Sarah insisted, placing a placating hand on her daughter’s arm as she admitted, “I checked up on him, gave him some of my lunch and something to read while he was in there. That’s more than we do for the common criminal.” 

“Then why are you asking me questions like that!” the girl exclaimed exasperated, throwing her hands up as she pointed out. 

“Because it’s my job, Vanessa!” 

“Well, here’s something for your job. It took him five minutes to get to ours because I picked him up two blocks over from his house.” 

The car screeched to a stop in the middle of the street as Sarah breathed out, “What did you just say?” 

Vanessa leaned back in her seat, folding her arms over her chest, “That’s right. I picked up Isaac up at the corner of his street after I waited for half an hour for him to arrive. I drove there and found him trying to bike away from his father. His bike is behind some bushes across the street.” 

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?” 

“If someone bothered to stop and ask me instead of taking the word of an idiot like Jackson Whittemore, I would have told them but, then again, they could easily make it out that I helped my boyfriend escape his abusive household by helping him murder his father, can't they?” 

The woman beside her breathed heavily with wide eyes, knowing the implications by revealing her daughter was with the boy suspected of murder and turned forward. 

“You can’t tell anyone,” her mother whispered, continuing on their drive home, “Not even Lisa.” 

“I won’t.” 

They pulled up in their driveway five minutes later, Vanessa sitting down on the porch chair outside and insisting she needed some air. Sarah sighed from where she had the keys in the door and turned to the girl. 

“I’m sorry for snapping at you, kiddo. I just don’t like seeing you in the middle of crime scenes when you should at home studying or out with friends – hanging at the movies or the bowling alley. Hell, I’d rather see you when I’m breaking up a house party then back there in the station,” her mother massaged her temples from the headache building within and Vanessa softened up, feeling guilty for making her mom worry about her. 

“Look, I can’t promise shit like this won’t happen again,” the girl spoke up quietly, turning in the chair so she could look the woman in her eyes, “But I can promise I will try to spend my time doing normal stuff. You won’t believe me when I say this, but I don’t like appearing in the middle of crime scenes either. But if my friends need help or I think something bad is happening, I will do what I can and go where I can to help out. You and Lisa both taught me that.” 

Sarah tipped back her head, smiling wanly as she muttered, “Of course, we did.” 

The older woman disappeared inside, leaving her daughter out there to take some time to herself. 

_Not._

As soon as she thought it was safe, Vanessa headed down her driveway, looking around for a familiar Camaro before a voice spoke up from the shadows. 

“I decided to take the woods,” Derek smirked as she jumped, turning towards where he was leaning against her rock wall and scowling at him. 

“Dude, can you _not_ do that.” 

“What did you need to talk about?” he asked, ignoring her comment as he approached her. 

“How 'bout you go first?” she suggested, cocking her head, “What were you and Scott doing at Isaac’s?” 

“Since when do you go to detention?” 

“Fuck, just answer my question really quickly and I’ll explain.” 

Derek groaned, sighing heavily before grounding out, “Fine. I was trying to teach him to use his other senses instead of only focusing on one. Like today at that disastrous lacrosse practice.” 

“Oh god, I can’t believe he did that,” Vanessa shook her head, cringing at the memory, “But why did you have to go to Isaac’s to do it?” 

“Because I was also trying to show him what the boy went through. Instead of nodding and moving on to helping me plan someway to bail your boyfriend out of jail, he rang up his girlfriend and had her lock him in the freezer.” 

“ _What?_ ” the girl cried out, glancing around quickly to make sure she didn’t draw too much attention, “Why on _earth_ would he do that?” 

“Because he needed to chain himself up for the night? I don’t know.” 

“So, he chose to get his girlfriend to lock him in the same freezer my boyfriend was locked in on the daily by his recently deceased father?” 

“He’s _your_ best friend,” Derek pointed out, folding his arms across his chest as he fixed her with a determined look, “Now, tell me what you needed to explain earlier.” 

“Fine,” she rolled her eyes at his bossiness – the hypocrite that she was – before continuing on, “Gerard is the new principal at our high school.” 

The man’s eyes darkened at the mere mention of the hunter’s name, growling out, “ _What?_ Does he know about Scott?” 

“Apparently, no. He knows he dated his granddaughter but seemingly nothing else. He does seem fixated on him for some reason so I wouldn’t bet against him finding out anytime soon. Especially if he's around to monitor him.” 

“Fucking hell,” the werewolf’s eyes glowed red in anger before flickering off as he faced her again, “You need to make sure Scott doesn’t slip up. Gerard isn’t going to be like Argent – that man won’t hesitate to cut down anything in his path.” 

“I know,” she sighed softly, turning to look up at the night sky as she whispered, “I’m glad that Isaac isn’t going to be at school. Even if he is a fugitive, it’s better than walking around like live game in a forest rigged with traps.” 

Derek came to stand beside her, settling a hand on her shoulder as he said quietly, “I’ll look out for him. You know that right?” 

“You better,” her lips quirked up in a dry smile as she tried to tease him, “I like my boyfriend’s alive and preferably untraumatized from having to be stuck lying low with a sour-wolf.” 

“I swear I’m gonna punch Stiles for that,” he muttered, shaking his head at the nickname. 

“Let’s focus that anger on the hunters, okay?” she suggested, amending quickly when his eyes lit up in eagerness, “Only Gerard and his men. Allison and Argent are off limits. You’re not going after her.” 

“Yes, I know,” he rolled his eyes at her, lips twitching as he added, “I told Scott that. At Isaac’s, I told him that I wouldn’t try to keep breaking them up. You were right, it just made him distrust me and I need him on my side if we want to get through this alive.” 

“There’s also the fun fact that he doesn’t approve of you turning kids into the werewolves.” 

“Are you saying I shouldn’t?” 

“On the contrary,” she turned to him with a small smile, “I’ve got your next Beta. As long as the same conditions apply. You will teach her, protect her and provide for her. She is pack, not just a tool for you to pull out when you need something done. _Pack_.” 

“I know,” he sighed softly, gazing down at her with earnest eyes as he asked, “What’s her name?” 

“Erica Reyes, a really good friend of mine.”


	7. Conquer Everest (Or A Close Second)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erica Reyes wants to spend her last day as a human without regrets. Even if it means conquering her fears.  
> But sometimes the bravest thing is not facing the fears that loom over you but behind you. It's not the fears that stand silent, but the ones that wears faces.  
> Sometimes the bravest thing is to face one of ours worse fears of all.  
> People.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- A few things that I want to talk about up front:  
>  \+ I don't have epilepsy. I've never met someone with epilepsy so I don't have first hand or second hand experience with the disorder. I know that it's hard on people who do suffer from it and not just from the seizures - I'm talking about the depression, the anxiety, the lack of self-esteem, the vulnerability. I try to be sensitive to this topic but if the way I represented epilepsy in my fic offends anyone, please know that it was not my intention and I am deeply sorry.
> 
> \+ I think that given what Erica has been through, what canon has stated she's been through, she would want to be free of that. And I tried to project that as best as I could - because I love Erica and thought she had so much potential and was disappointed they killed her off. She was the first female werewolf (on screen - not including Laura Hale) and I thought that was going to be fun to see. And it was until she died. I want to do her justice. Just because she's beautiful and confident doesn't mean she has to be a bitch - I hate that stereotype that girls have to be bitches to each other and will forever fight against it with my femme fatale characters.

It was two days later that Derek and Vanessa had agreed to have Erica meet with him, the blonde girl confirming that she was free to do so after school. Derek had reassured the brunette that he would demonstrate to Erica exactly what he would be turning her into, what it meant to be one of them including both the pros and cons. Pros being that she wouldn’t suffer from her epilepsy, her body would have a healthy immune system that would be able to heal wounds inflicted on it, she would be physically stronger and faster and would also have enhanced senses. Cons being that she would have an uncontrollable blood lust once a month and hunters on her tail. 

Both of which, Vanessa was hard at work on trying to stop. Her, Scott, Stiles and Allison were trying to figure out how to keep the hunters from finding out about Scott and coming up with backup plans for what to do when they _inevitably_ do find out. Another concern of theirs was the creature that killed Isaac’s father and had also attacked Scott and Allison at Isaac’s house, confirming to them all that Vanessa’s boyfriend was innocent and that they had more dire problems to face than a new wolf. Scott was still not budging on his anti-make more wolves – and to some extent, Vanessa secretly agreed. Making more wolves at a time when hunters roamed around every corner was risky and was just begging for a silver bullet to the brain. 

But then again, Derek also had a point. More wolves meant more strength in numbers, so when they did have to face the Argent’s – and that freaky creature going about murdering the citizens of Beacon Hills – they would have reinforcements of their own. Which led her back to Erica, who had been bouncing up and down all day in excitement to be rid of her burden – that was, until third period Gym class rolled around and Coach revealed they would be rock climbing. 

The thing about her friend was that she had one thing that held her back the most in Gym besides her neurological disorder and that was she was scared of heights. Just what she needed on her last day of being human – her worst fear standing in front of her. 

“Hey,” Vanessa laid a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder, “I could go up with you if you wanted?” 

Erica nodded, eyes darting nervously to the rock wall that Allison and Scott were climbing up. Vanessa turned to watch as her friends muttered to each other before their conversation turned flirtatious with the boy leaning back to admire her friend’s ass. Allison smirked down at him before she continued on her way up. The brunette on the ground shook her head as Scott started up the wall fast, his speed and quick reflexes helping him get ahead of the girl before he stopped to he wait patiently for her to realize he was further than her. 

Vanessa threw her head back laughing as Allison kicked out at Scott’s feet, sending him falling towards the padded mats beneath them before the harness caught him. 

“That’s what happens when you provoke a girl,” she whispered down at her best friend who was grabbing his heart and breathing heavily. 

The harness loosened, his back hitting the mattress and knocking the air out of him. Vanessa watched in amusement as Coach sat down beside the boy, chuckling as he told the boy, “McCall, I don’t know why but your pain gives me a special kind of joy. Right?” 

Vanessa snorted, earning Coach’s attention as he gestured for her and Erica to go up next. The brunette cringed, guilt flashing through her now that she basically made Erica go up next with her. They approached the wall, waiting for Allison to come down. The brunette helped Erica into her harness, whispering that they were going to be okay. 

“I’ll stay with you.” 

She turned around and started up, going about a meter as she waited for Erica to heave herself up next to her. When she did, she made forward again to another meter, the two girls repeating the same thing until they were about three and a half meters up and Erica looked down. Vanessa heard the blonde begin to whimper and climbed back down to settle beside her. 

“Hey, hey, sweetie. It’s okay just look at me.” 

The blonde pressed her head against the wall, crying out as her muscles locked up on her. Vanessa sent a panicked look down at the waiting teenagers as her friend began hyperventilating, begging to be let down. The crowd of kids gathered around the bottom, Coach peering up at them. 

“Erica,” he called, the girl shaking as she tried to move, “Dizzy? Is it vertigo?” 

“Vertigo’s a dysfunction of the vestibular system of the inner ear,” Vanessa heard Lydia explain to him, “She’s just freaking out.” 

The brunette on the rock wall rolled her eyes at the red head's insensitivity, leaning in to whisper to Erica. 

“Ignore them. It’s okay, we can go back down.” 

“I’m fine,” the blonde croaked out, not wanting to go back down. 

Allison’s voice drifted from the ground, “Coach, maybe it’s not safe. You know she’s epileptic.” 

“Why doesn’t anybody tell me this stuff?” the man stammered out before calling back up, “Erica, y-you’re fine. Just kick off from the wall. There’s a mat to catch you.” 

“Did you want me to go first?” Vanessa asked quietly as her friend whimpered. The girl gave her a small nod. 

The brunette gave her reassuring smile before kicking off, falling to the ground before calling back up at her. 

“You can come down!” 

The blonde slowly leaned back, letting go of her iron grip on the wall and coming down slowly to land beside her friend. Vanessa reached out to steady her, hands going around her waist as Erica breathed heavily into her shoulder. The two girls quickly took of their harnesses as Coach reassured Erica that she was fine and to ‘ _shake it off_ ’. The brunette glared around as laughter broke out in the group, teenagers making jokes and pointing as Vanessa led her friend out of the gym to get some water. 

“That was really brave,” she told Erica, arms coming around her friend, “For you to come back down.” 

“How was that brave? I was only three meters up and I freaked out!” 

“The wall might have been scary, but facing everyone when you got back down? That was the scary part.” 

The blonde looked up at her friend with wide eyes as she asked, “Really?” 

“I’ve seen people do a lot of brave things. Only one person beats yours. That’s how brave that was.” 

Erica smiled up at her with tears in her eyes, burying her head into her friend’s shoulders to muffle her cries. 

“I just wanted to do this one thing before everything changed.” 

“I know but you did something even better. You faced the fears that actually wore faces. You faced people.” 

It was an hour later as Vanessa went to go change in the locker rooms, expecting Erica to follow her until the blonde insisted she needed more time to compose herself. The brunette nodded in understanding, promising to meet up for lunch before going off to track down her other friends. 

She didn’t notice the blonde girl slip off back into the gym, determination to conquer all her fears alight in her brown eyes as she headed for the rock wall in the middle of the room. 

Vanessa was taking off her sports shirt to change back into her blouse when Allison whispered to her about her father’s idea of training her to be a hunter. 

The brunette snorted in amusement, closing her locker as the girls headed out into the hall, “Sounds like your dad and Derek need to meet up and exchange teaching techniques. I think Derek’s softening up though.” 

“Derek? Derek Hale? Softening up?” 

“You won’t believe this, but he actually gave me a hug and held my hands when I had anxiety being in the back of Stiles’ jeep.” 

“No freaking way.” 

“Yep,” Vanessa nodded, smiling slightly before shrugging, “Five minutes later he threatened to punch Stiles’ face in though, so I guess it’s just me.” 

Scott and Stiles raced passed them heading towards the gym with confused looks on their faces, the girls exchanged a look before taking off after them. As they entered through the double doors, their eyes widened in shock at seeing Erica up on the wall and tremoring in a dreadfully familiar way that had them all sprinting towards her just as she fell back. Scott got there before them, catching her and lowering the seizing girl to the ground as they surrounded her with looks of concern. Vanessa landed on her knees on the other side of the girl, eyes darting around until they landed on Stiles. 

“Go get the Coach. Call an ambulance,” she ordered him, turning back to her friend as the boy scrambled out. 

“I’m here, sweetie. I’m right here, it’s okay,” the girl soothed in vain, knowing that her friend couldn’t control herself when she was like that but hoping the sound of her voice gave her comfort that she wasn’t alone. 

“Put her on her side,” Allison told Scott, whose hands were wrapped tightly in Erica’s grip as the girl’s head thrashed back, “How did you know?” 

“I just felt it.” 

The sound of Coach shouting for people to back off and give the girl air broke through the room, the man himself appearing next to Vanessa as he told them, “An ambulance has been called. Do any of you have her parent’s number?” 

“I do,” Vanessa replied, pulling out her phone and calling them. 

They answered after several rings, about to put her on hold so that they could go back to their previous call before she told them that Erica had a seizure and they were needed at the hospital. The girl’s father had the audacity to sigh as if this was nothing more than an inconvenience as he informed her he would be there to pick her up in an hour. Vanessa grunted in frustration, turning back to her friend and taking her other hand in her own as a kid yelled out that the ambulance was here. 

As the EMT’s laid her on the stretcher, Vanessa and Scott trailed after them, hands still linked with the girl’s all the way to the carpark before one of the EMT’s tried to stop them. Scott pulled his hand out from the girl’s gently before stepping back, waiting for his best friend to follow. When she tried to do the same thing, her friend’s grip on her hand only tightened. 

“Ne-Ne-Ne-s-s-sa,” she heard Erica stutter out, flashes of awareness lighting her eyes as her grip tightened. 

The medical officer sighed, waving the brunette in as it seemed Erica was not going to be letting go of her hand anytime soon. The girl took a seat beside the medical officer, hand squeezing her friend’s tightly, so she knew that she was still there. Seeing Erica like that again, head thrashing and body jerking against her will, Vanessa found herself ignoring everything Scott said about the hunters, the rage, the moon and the hiding as she pulled out her phone to text a werewolf. 

**VANESSA: _Change of plans. Meet me at the hospital._**

********

About an hour later, Vanessa was in the waiting room when Melissa McCall went to give Erica a checkup, the girl’s attack having ended by the time they arrived at the hospital as she succumbed to unconsciousness. They had told her Erica had woken up half an hour ago, asking for her. She had gone into the room they had her in, the girl staring up at her through heavily lidded eyes as she insisted that she wanted it gone. Vanessa promised her that by the next morning she would never have to worry about her epilepsy, her seizures or her medication again. 

********

Call her selfish, call her a bad friend but she wanted Erica to feel like a fucking human for once who wasn’t always on the edge between anxiety, depression or an epileptic fit. She didn’t want her friend to come to school, cowering in on herself as people laughed and teased her for something she couldn’t control. And maybe she was damning her friend to uncontrollable anger, but the thing was, werewolves _could_ learn control. They could be taught to embrace their natures, to use their senses to their advantage and to learn how to win back control. How to defend themselves. There was no control with epilepsy. It came out of nowhere and could disappear for years, only to show up when you least expected it. 

********

And the most important thing to consider of this was that Erica _wanted_ the bite. If she changed her mind once she found out what it entailed, then Vanessa would support her like she always had. But she knew the girl wouldn’t, especially when she pleaded with her to call Derek and bring him to the hospital. 

********

Which led to him coming through the doors, heading for the brunette waiting at the reception for him. 

********

“What happened?” he asked her, brows furrowed in confusion. 

********

“Erica experienced a seizure. She’s fine now but she wants the bite. Tonight.” 

********

“Okay,” the man shrugged, using his senses to find where the girl was, “I’ll do it right now.” 

********

“Wait,” Vanessa stopped him with a hand on his arm as he made to go to Erica’s room, “Please, just help her. Derek, I don’t want my friends suffering anymore but I don’t want them to trade in one suffering for another. So, I need you to be serious with me right now. Will you protect them? Will you guide them? And will they be your pack or your minions?” 

********

“Ness,” he sighed, turning to look her in the eye as both his hands landed on her arms, “I promise. Yes, before you came to me that night, I was going to make a pack to grow more powerful. I didn’t care who I would turn, I didn’t care what I would have to do to make them obedient and make them strong. But then you talked to me, you reminded me of my mom. Of Laura. They would be ashamed of what I was planning to do as Alpha. But that won’t happen because I will be the Alpha that would make them proud. I will lead a pack, not a group of teenagers too scared to look me in the eyes.” 

********

She raised a brow, unconvinced as he rolled his eyes at her, “And you were right. Everything I did to try to teach Scott only made him grow to distrust me. I won’t make the same mistake again. I will guide them, I will protect them and if needed, I will provide for them.” 

********

The girl stared at him for a few for moments, searching his eyes for lies before nodding, “Good.” 

********

He nodded back, letting her go and disappearing down the hall. Vanessa watched him go and sat back down, content on waiting for them until Lisa came out with her purse slung over her shoulder. Her mother stopped at the sight of her daughter in the waiting room before remembering that she had seen Erica Reyes being wheeled in earlier and immediately connected the dots. 

********

“Hey, did you want a ride home?” she asked her daughter. 

********

Vanessa looked up at Lisa in surprise, eyes darting to the room where her best friend was before nodding. 

********

“Did you get to see Erica earlier?” the blonde woman smiled gently at her as they walked out to the carpark, climbing into the white Honda parked up front, “Did the doctors say she would be okay?” 

********

“I did. In fact, I think she’s going to be more than okay,” the girl smiled back, watching the hospital with bright, determined eyes as she made a silent promise. 

********

_I’m gonna make sure she’s okay. I’m gonna make sure they are all gonna be okay._

********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you thought about this chapter. Leave a comment and a kudos and I will be much appreciated!  
> x


	8. The Wolf Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanessa sprinted across the street, hopping into Derek’s car with an eager expression on her face, “Where are going?”  
> “Not telling,” he smirked at her in amusement before pulling out and driving down the road.  
> “At least tell me it’s indoors?”  
> “Yes.”  
> “Is there a toilet?”  
> “Yes?” this yes sounded less confident and made the girl suspicious.  
> “Is there somewhere you can store food?”  
> “Not yet.”  
> “Is there anywhere you can sleep?”  
> “Um, the floor?”  
> “Derek,” she murmured quietly, turning to face him, “Please tell me that my friends aren’t living in an abandoned building somewhere that doesn’t have electricity, running water and furniture for them to sleep on.”  
> “The electricity and running water work but as for the furniture...…"  
> “That’s it. We’re going to fucking Aldi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the comments and feedback x I came home to one this afternoon and i was like, "just for that, i'm uploading another chapter," so here you go! If you have any more questions about where this fic or series might be heading or have any suggestions, please leave a comment! Oh! And a kudos? Pretty please!

The first thing she did when she got home was call up Erica, sighing in relief when her friend picked up on the third beep. 

“Hey,” the girl greeted, her voice soft and yet stronger than Vanessa had ever heard her speak, “I didn’t see you when I came out?” 

“Sorry, Lisa offered a ride home and I thought your dad would be picking you up soon anyway.” 

“Yeah, actually,” her voice grew quiet as she murmured, “He didn’t show.” 

“I’m sorry, he didn’t _what?_ ” Vanessa shrieked, eyes wide as she lunged up from her bed to get her car keys, “I’m sorry sweetie, I’m gonna have to call you back. I’m driving to your dad’s house to kick his ass. And break all the technology in sight.” 

Someone in the background started laughing, a warm, familiar sound that made the girl freeze at the top of the stairs to press her phone closer to her ear, asking her friend slowly, “Erica, sweetie, where are you right now?” 

“Since my dad didn’t care if I spent the night at the hospital, I figured he wouldn’t care if I went home with Derek.” 

“Uh huh,” Vanessa murmured, heart beating faster, “Where is that exactly?” 

“Well, if you go outside, you'll find out,” her friend answered, a grin in her voice. 

Vanessa headed back into her bedroom to look out her window, spying the Camaro sitting across the street. 

“See you soon,” Erica laughed through the phone, the call ending as she clicked off. 

The brunette shoved her phone into a backpack, along with some clothes for Erica and some of Scott’s clothes she had lying around for Isaac. After scrounging around for toiletries, her wallet, laptop and her books for tomorrow, she raced out of her room and downstairs. 

“Mom, I’m spending the night at Allison’s, so I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” she called out to Lisa in the kitchen. 

“Have a good time, sweetheart,” Lisa called back, waving to her on her way out. 

Vanessa sprinted across the street, hopping into Derek’s car and enthusiastically bouncing up and down in her seat as she asked, “Where are we going?” 

“Not telling,” he smirked, before pulling out and driving down the road. 

“At least tell me it’s indoors?” 

“Yes.” 

“Is there a toilet?” 

“Yes?" this yes sounded less confident and made the girl suspicious. 

“Is there somewhere you can store food?” 

“Not yet.” 

“Is there anywhere you can sleep?” 

“Um, the floor?” 

“Derek,” she murmured quietly, turning to face him, “Please tell me that my friends aren’t living in an abandoned building somewhere that doesn’t have electricity, running water and furniture for them to sleep on.” 

“The electricity and running water work but as for the furniture.....” 

“That’s it. We’re going to fucking Aldi.” 

After an argument that lasted thirty minutes and included stopping several times to scream at each other, they ended up in the grocery store, Derek trailing behind the girl as she held up a website that listed camping gear. She told the sullen werewolf to get a cart as she headed to the camping goods section, finding some cots and air mattresses, and getting the man to help her load them into the cart. 

“Do we really need all this?” he asked, glancing around with the fourth double air mattress box in his hands, “I slept in an abandoned house that had holes in the floor. Surely, these kids can sleep on a dirty floor for a few days.” 

The girl whipped her head towards him, shaking it incredulously as she scrunched up her face, “That’s _disgusting_ , Derek. I’m not having you guys sleep on the floor of whatever dirty, old place you picked to be your lair, okay? You wanna know what taking care of people looks like? Here it is! Now, help me with this table.” 

“Why do they need a table?” 

“To _eat_ on, Derek. People eat on tables,” she rolled her eyes at him, turning back to pick out the camping chairs. 

“Who do you think is paying for this?” 

“Whoever is driving a fucking Camaro right now.” 

He went silent after that, dutifully helping her load stuff in the cart. She had picked up some fresh pillows, sleeping bags, blankets, shower curtains (for privacy), a portable camp shower, a hotplate, cooler and mini fridge before she allowed him to pay for the first half of the stuff. 

“What do you mean the _first_ half?” he frowned down at her in confusion. 

“Dude, we’ve only just gotten started. We still haven’t bought food yet and that’s last on the list. Now go take this shit to the car and come right back.” 

She turned away from him to grab her own cart as she started down the aisle, throwing in stuff like matches, a toolbox, mini bins, buckets, a portable power outlet, a kettle, plastic containers to throw their stuff in, cutlery, cups, bowls, pots, plates and a cutting board before Derek came back. The werewolf looked at her overflowing cart with horror as she directed him to get toilet paper, hand sanitizer, toothbrushes, toothpaste, towels, and bug spray. His lack of knowledge on how to survive like an _actual_ human being would have been hilarious if she wasn’t so concerned with keeping her friend’s from starving to death before they even got a chance to try out their new werewolf powers. 

“You know, it’s not permanent. Where we’re staying isn’t where we’re staying for good, you know that right?” he said to her as she went off to get the food. 

“Yeah, I know. But you never know when you guys would need to come back there in future. It would be good to have basic living facilities ready and waiting for whoever needs it. Besides, if you want Scott to join your pack, you need to have somewhere that look’s semi-comfortable. And that has food.” 

“Fucking teenagers,” Derek muttered, shaking his head as he pushed two carts worth of stuff while she plucked the basic necessities off the shelf. 

That night, they left the store with over five hundred dollars’ worth of camping gear, food, and essential items as they headed to where the rest of the pack was waiting. They were driving through the warehouse district when Derek turned in towards a garage. He picked up his phone to call someone, only saying **_We’re here_** before the doors opened and he drove forward. 

Erica wondered out beside them once they parked, pulling Vanessa into a hug, and whispering, “Thank you.” 

“Of course, sweetie,” the girl smiled, pulling back to study her friend. 

She could see the changes already, the blonde’s previously oily and acne plastered skin now smooth and unblemished. Erica’s hair also looked healthier, flusher, and blonder. Her friend, most importantly, seemed to glow with happiness. 

“Did sour-wolf here tell you everything?” Vanessa asked, smirking when she heard a growl from behind her. 

“Let’s save the chit chat for later,” Derek grunted as he went to unload the groceries from the car, “We gotta take all this shit downstairs.” 

“I can help with that,” Erica offered, going over to help unload one of the air mattresses. 

“I’m gonna go see what kind of cess pit you have my friends living in,” Vanessa announced, heading to the gate at the other end of the parking lot. She could have sworn she heard Derek mutter something about ‘ _like hell you are_ ’ but her human ears must have been deceiving her. The girl pulled the gate open, revealing a staircase that led down into the dark below. 

Her heartbeat faster with every step she took, one hand clutching the winding railing while her other held out her cell phone with the flash on. As she reached the bottom, the girl looked around to find what looked like an abandoned railway depot. 

_So, this was where Derek chose to lay low in?_

It was big, not that dirty actually so it must have only been shut down for a year or so. In such a low populated area, she could see why they would run out of business with the disuse of trains and railroads. 

Footsteps broke her out of her thoughts, her light shining on the steps to see if Erica and Derek were coming down. They weren’t, and as the sound came again from her left, a grin lit up her face. 

_So, he wanted to play hide and seek? Two could play that game._

The girl’s eyes narrowed on the abandoned subway car at the far end of the room and headed towards it, knowing if _he_ were to follow her, he’d have little room to hide in. Vanessa smirked as she entered the rusty vehicle, hands gripping the poles as she walked by. The weight shifted as somebody else entered after her and she knew she had him. Whipping around with her phone, the light shone on nothing. 

From behind her, the air shifted as a warm presence settled at her back, hot breathe on her neck as he whispered in her ear, “Looking for me?” 

She turned around to face him but found herself staring at pitch black emptiness. Gaping, she felt a pair of hands settle on her waist from the other side. 

“Too slow,” the voice taunted again, obvious amusement colouring his tone. 

The girl raised an eyebrow at his sudden boldness, a stark difference to the boy she had last seen tremoring as Derek led him out of the station, commenting on it with an approving smile, “I see you’ve gotten faster. More forward too?” 

The hands disappeared as she turned around. Still, she faced nothing. 

“You don’t like it?” he mused, a smirk in his voice as it rang out from behind her. 

“Maybe I don’t.” 

“Your heartbeat says otherwise, beautiful,” fingers traced her pulse at her throat, soft voice whispering in awe, “Fluttering for me.” 

Before he could flash away, her hand reached up and grabbed his wrist. 

“Too slow,” she spun around, grinning victoriously as she wrapped an arm around his neck and brought his lips collapsing on top of hers. 

The girl let his hand go so they could wander back to her waist, tightening their grip as she slipped her tongue into his mouth. He walked them backwards until she was flush against the wall of the car, his strong arms lifting her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist to support their kiss. She moaned as he pressed closer, deepening their embrace as their tongues danced together passionately. 

When they pulled back to catch their breaths, she shone her light on the boy holding her in his arms so that she could see him properly. Deep set blue eyes had darkened in lust and were wide as they blinked at her in wonder. Vanessa smiled down at him in adoration. 

“Hey, handsome,” she murmured softly in greeting, caressing his face with her hand. 

Isaac leaned into it, shutting his eyes in content as he whispered back, “Hello, beautiful.” 

“I’ve missed you.” 

“Trust me, the feeling is mutual.” 

“I would hope so after **that** hell of a hello.” 

“Could you two stop fooling around and help us unload the car?” Derek’s voice called from across the room, annoyance crackling in his voice. 

The two chuckled to themselves before she was lowered to the ground. The lights of the building flickered on and she could finally see _him_ clearly, hair all mussed up and chest heaving. His eyes trailed down her body, leaving heat in their wake as he took in the outfit she still had on from school that day. It was scoop neck white shirt with whitewashed skinny jeans that hugged her thighs and accented her long legs that had previously been wrapped around him. The boy made as if to gather her up once again before the werewolf outside growled out. 

“You can make out later. Help me unload the groceries that _you_ brought, Vanessa.” 

“Oh, thank you,” Isaac whispered to her, voice growing haunted as he continued, “We’ve literally been surviving on take out.” 

“I fucking knew it,” she grumbled back, exiting the subway cart to glare at Derek, who in turn, was glaring at Isaac. 

“I’m never buying you dinner again,” the man warned, turning to walk back upstairs as Erica appeared to bring down the last of the air mattresses and cots. 

“You won’t have to because you brought food that you can actually cook,” the brunette pointed out before looking around for the nearest power outlet, “Now for a place where you can actually cook it.” 

It took them a total of two hours to unpack everything and set up, three of them using their supernatural strength and agility to make up the cots on the roof space above. Vanessa used the small wooden plank top next to the basin to set up the hot plates, using the space beneath to set the cooler and mini fridge which she plugged into the portable power outlet. She then went about putting the groceries away, hissing in irritation when she noticed they forgot to pick up a few things. 

“I’ll have to go get ice for the cooler,” she told Derek, who grunted in response. 

“Great, just when I thought this was over.” 

“You do realize you need to get groceries on the weekly, right?” 

“ **WHAT?** ” he exclaimed as she went back to putting away the food, “What do you mean weekly?” 

“You don’t have to get everything we bought tonight but you need to restock or you'll run out of stuff.” 

After she put away the food, she moved onto putting the cooking and eating utensils in another container before she focused on the bathrooms. She braced herself for the hell she would be walking into and sighed in relief when it turned out that they were just a bit dirty on the walls and mirrors. The toilets themselves were actually very clean for an abandoned building and she had her suspicions that she was looking at Derek’s limit to living in a hole. _Figures_. She added wipes and hand rolls to the list of things she would need to get for them before setting the toilet paper on the least grimy part of the bathroom counter before heading out. 

There was nobody in the room so she figured they must have all jumped up to the ceiling to set up their makeshift living quarters. She eyed a ladder at the other end of the room and went over to line it up with the roof space. Climbing up, she walked over to where Erica had already set up her cots and the air mattress and was now lying down with a peaceful smile on her face. 

“You have no idea have this feels, Ness,” the blonde whispered, turning on her side to beam up at her, “It’s like for the first time, the ground doesn’t feel so heavy.” 

Vanessa sat beside her, holding the girl’s hand in her own as she smiled gently, “I’m glad that you’re happy. I just want to make sure you know for certain what this life means.” 

Erica’s smile wavered as she looked down, her voice quiet as she replied, “I know about the hunters. What they would do if they found out what I am. What we all are. But I don’t regret choosing this. And if I need to fight them so that I can finally enjoy life for once, then I will fight. I **won’t** let them kill me.” 

“Neither will I. And neither will Derek. He's your Alpha now and he'll look after you guys. Teach you to protect yourselves, to control yourselves. He'll fight alongside you and protect you. So, while it's important that you listen to him because of his wisdom as not only an Alpha, but a born wolf, it's also important to question him if you’re not comfortable or you don’t understand something he’s asking you to do.” 

“Really? I thought we were supposed to follow his commands?” 

“No. He doesn’t **command** you. He leads you but only if you respect his leadership. That respect has to be earned. And I think - I think he's on the right track,” Vanessa threw a smile at Derek’s back from across the ceiling space, knowing he was hearing every word, “to becoming an Alpha whose pack you should be proud of being a part of.” 

“I think so too,” Erica murmured back softly. 

The brunette leaned over to pick up her backpack she brought up with her, shaking it with a mischievous grin on her face as she said, “I also brought presents.” 

“Presents?” the blonde’s eyes widened comically as her eyes darted to floor space below them as she asked, “I thought doing all _this_ was your present.” 

“Technically, Derek paid for it all so it’s kinda his present. As a welcome to his pack kind of thing. I just kind of went a little bit overboard with everything,” Vanessa grinned as the werewolf from across the space scoffed. 

“So, what’s in the bag?” Erica prompted, staring at it with eagerness. 

The brunette pulled out some clothes that she thought the blonde might like including a pair of jeans, two skirts, some shirts, a spare leather jacket and some pajamas that were all in the girl’s size. Erica gaped at her for a moment before bringing her into a hug, whispering, “I literally forgot about clothes.” 

“It’s fine,” Vanessa beamed as her friend fingered the leather jacket with interest before asking, “Are you coming to school tomorrow?” 

“Yeah, if you’re here than I may as well go,” the girl replied, glancing up at the sight of the wicked grin on her face, “Why?” 

“How would you like a makeover?” 

Erica’s eyes lit up in interest as she asked, “What did you have in mind?” 

“I was thinking a blonde bombshell is going to go off in Beacon Hills Highschool tomorrow.” 

“I am so in,” the blonde breathed out, pulling her into another hug as she whispered, “Now, you might want to give some attention to Lahey over there. He’s been really excited to see you since Derek went to pick you up.” 

Vanessa glanced over her shoulder, watching as the boy in question quickly looked away from them to finish putting his cot together. She raised an eyebrow as he scrambled for a piece that slipped out of his hands and smirked. 

“I’ve noticed,” she drawled, winking when Isaac snuck another peek at her from across the room. 

“Please, get off my bed,” Erica laughed, pushing her friend off. 

“Rude!” the brunette gasped before using the beams to cross to the other side of space. 

She leaned against the wall to watch the boy kneeling on the floor finish putting his cot together. He stood up, turning to her with a nonchalant look on his face and his hands shoved into his pockets. 

“I was totally not listening to your conversation. Like at all,” he shrugged, looking everywhere but her as he said so. 

Derek’s voice grumbled from the other side of the space, “We were all listening to their conversation, dumbass.” 

The girl giggled, approaching her boyfriend to wrap him up in a tight hug as she whispered to him, “I was excited too.” 

“I could tell,” he smirked down at her, a sexy quirk of his lips that she realized would be the death of her. 

“Who taught you how to do that?” she asked, tracing his lips with her fingers as she murmured, “I’m going to have to thank them.” 

“Really? And how would you thank this person?” he raised an eyebrow, gazing down at her with amusement. And a challenge. 

_Fucking accepted, you smooth motherfucker._

“I would tell you but I’m afraid there are children with sensitive ears present and what I have to say is not suitable for their developing minds,” she quipped softly, eyes twinkling in mischief when his jaw dropped at the insinuation. 

A groan echoed from the other side of the room as Derek barked out, “Can you keep your hands off of each other for five minutes?” 

“Nope,” the two teenagers replied without hesitation, chuckling to themselves as the man sighed heavily. 

“It was so quiet before Vanessa got here and now, we all wanna talk,” Derek mumbled. 

“What were you doing before I got here?” she asked Isaac, who shrugged. 

“Just sitting around in silence.” 

The man from the other side of the room bounded over, crossing his arms over his chest as he came to stand in front of them. 

“Who is your Alpha?” he asked Isaac with glowing red eyes, the boy shifting his feet nervously, "Is it me or the five foot two brunette?” 

Vanessa gaped at the man before swatting at him viciously, shrieking, “ **What** did I tell you about intimidating them? What did I fucking say? I said don’t – “ 

“Okay, fine, stop!” Derek barked out as she continued to hit him, “I get it. Stop before you hurt yourself.” 

She glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest as she growled out, “Don’t be a meanie!” 

“Fine!” he rolled his eyes before turning to jump off the ceiling space to the floor below, “Didn't you say you were going to be making dinner?” 

“I did. I’ll be down in a bit,” she called back, rolling her eyes at his dramatics before yelling back, “Also I’m five foot four, dickhead. Get it right!” 

Isaac burst out laughing from beside her as she beamed up at him, the sound melting any anger or irritation she felt before and turning into pure joy at hearing him so happy. She loved this new side of him, this bright, bold, and confident person that he had become. And for the first time ever, there was no doubt in her mind that she made the right choice in choosing her friends to become Derek’s Betas. No looming threat of hunters could take away Isaacs’s laughter or Erica’s sunny smile. Nothing could take that away from them and that was how it was going to stay. 

“I love your laugh,” she burst out suddenly, smiling happily up at him. 

He stopped laughing to blink at her in surprise before replying quietly, “I love your smile.” 

They stared at each other for a bit before Derek began to roar in impatience, the two snapping out of their moment to glare at the floor. 

“We’re coming!” Vanessa screamed back at him as she made to go back down the ladder. 

Before she knew what was happening, a pair of strong arms slid beneath her legs and around her waist as Isaac whispered in her ear, “Allow me.” 

She closed her eyes as he jumped off the ceiling space and landed on the floor, lowering her down gently as she gripped his shirt in her hands. The girl opened her eyes gingerly before snorting, “That was faster than any elevator I’ve been on.” 

He shook his head at her in adoration as she giggled, heading for the makeshift kitchen area where Derek had set up the table and chairs. 

\- 

Derek could deny it all he wanted, but he saw the merit in the girl buying furniture and groceries for his pack. And it was obvious that her presence had made the other two loosen up a bit for the first time since they arrived. They were now smiling and joking with each other as Isaac helped set up the hot plate while Erica started laying out the cutlery and plates on the table. Vanessa asked everybody if they were okay with hotdogs for dinner, and her two friends sighed longingly. Derek watched them in the chair he had claimed as his own while Erica started pouring out glasses of water, setting one in front of him with an uncertain smile. 

This was the time to earn their trust, make them comfortable around him. He gave the blonde girl a genuine smile, murmuring out his thanks as she nodded back. When they all turned their back to him, the Alpha sighed like smiling took a lot out of him. He turned his attention back to Vanessa, who was humming to herself as she put the sausages on a small pan, turning them over as she went. Isaac had moved behind her, placing a small kiss on her cheek before walking off to look through the containers for salt, ketchup and bread, all the while smiling to himself with red cheeks. The brunette at the hot plate had turned to watch her boyfriend, a hand coming up to hover over the cheek he kissed as she stared in surprise before grinning brightly. Erica shook her head at them before sitting down to Derek’s left, taking a sip of her own water before whispering to her Alpha. 

“If you think this is bad, you should see them in Art class.” 

The Alpha felt his lips quirk up at that, arching a brow when Isaac glared over his shoulder at Erica who was sheepishly taking another sip of her drink, brown eyes glittering in amusement. Vanessa was still humming as she made dinner, her human ears unable to pick up on their low voices. Derek could see the effect that Vanessa had on the pack he made, a soft and comfortable presence that turned the group of strangers previously sitting in silence into an almost familial dynamic. And it was then that Derek Hale first felt grateful for the girl singing softly to herself as she served him and his pack dinner before taking a seat across from him. 

Vanessa smiled at Derek from where he was studying her silently, a look of consideration on his normally sudden face that made her tilt her head and ask, “What’s up?” 

“Nothing,” he shook his head, leaning back before muttering, “Thanks for dinner.” 

The girl gasped out, making the other two jump in their chairs as she pointed, “Did you just _thank_ me? What is this, the third, fourth time now?” 

“It’ll be the last time if you don’t shut up and eat,” he grumbled. 

She smirked at him, silently promising that she wasn’t done making fun of him before digging into her meal. She was halfway done with her hot dog when she glanced up to see everybody else had finished. She jerked back with an incredulous look on her face before Derek explained. 

“Higher metabolism.” 

The brunette pouted at them all, “No fair.” 

“You can always become my next Beta,” the man offered sarcastically, knowing she wouldn’t take it. 

“ _Actually_ ,” she began, smiling faintly at him, “We should talk about your next Beta. Can we agree after the next one, they will be your last? At least until the hunters have left town.” 

Derek considered her suggestion carefully before nodding, “I can agree to that. Did you have someone else in mind?” 

“Not yet, but me and Erica can choose someone tomorrow?” 

The man glanced at the blonde beside him, who smiled again in uncertainty before nodding, “Okay.” 

“Also, we all need to talk about the creature that Isaac saw. It attacked Scott and Allison on Tuesday night and Scott said it had a tail? So, did you want to explain that, or should I just wait until the next full moon to find out you grow another appendage?!” 

Erica and Isaac exchanged panicked glances as Derek frowned, leaning forward, and scrunching up his face in confusion as he stated, “We don’t have tails. Whatever it was, it’s not one of us.” 

“We got to figure out what it is then,” Vanessa rebutted as she wolfed down the remainder of her meal, fixing Derek with a worried look, “Because I have a feeling that if it has killed once, it’s gonna kill again.” 

“Alright, can you arrange a meeting between me and Scott tomorrow?” 

“It’s going to be difficult,” she admitted, glancing at her blonde friend before continuing, “He’s going to be pissed when he finds out that you gave Erica the bite. I can try to lure him out to the preserve that weekend though?” 

Erica frowned before asking, “Why would Scott be angry?” 

“Because of his own experiences as a new wolf,” Vanessa explained, taking a sip of her water before continuing, “The Alpha who turned him was Peter Hale, Derek’s uncle. Peter was psychotic, he didn’t teach Scott control and therefore, he was left to figure out everything on his own. Derek tried to help, but by that point Scott didn’t trust anyone except for me, Stiles and Allison.” 

“There a big piece of the story that you're missing there, Nessa,” Derek drawled, fixing her with a look as she shied away sheepishly. 

“What? What is it?” Isaac asked, wide eyes turning to stare at his girlfriend questioningly. 

“Allison’s family are hunters,” she admitted as her two friends gaped at her in surprise, “Because of this, Scott constantly had to sneak around and hide who he was from Allison’s parents.” 

“Constantly putting himself in danger just by being with her,” the Alpha across from her finished off. 

Vanessa glared back at him, jutting out her chin in defiance, “Saying shit like that is the exact reason that Scott doesn’t trust you. Allison is his anchor, continuing on about how they shouldn’t be together doesn’t help your cause, Derek. Besides, you told me that you told Scott you wouldn’t try to split them apart again.” 

“What’s an anchor?” the boy to her right asked, brows furrowed. 

“An anchor is the only way we can control ourselves,” Derek explained, sitting back in his seat, “And not just on the full moon.” 

“How do we get one?” Erica questioned, eyes wide and hopeful. 

“You don’t just _get_ an anchor,” the Alpha shook his head, softening slightly when Erica ducked her head in embarrassment, “It’s something you guys need to find.” 

“What Derek is trying to say,” Vanessa continued, leaning forward, “Is that an anchor is a place, person, emotion or concept that you ground yourself to. Something that reminds you of your human side. Derek is anger, a driving focus that has a personal reason behind it that can’t be confused for primal rage. Scott’s is his girlfriend, Allison, and therefore the emotion would be love. Animals don’t understand love - at least, not in the way we do. They only possess the need to mate and in some cases, such as wolves, loyalty. Love reminds Scott that he’s human. _Allison_ reminds him he’s human.” 

“Do all our kind find anchors?” Isaac questioned, eyes alight with interest. 

“No,” Derek revealed quietly, “Some go their entire lives without finding something to ground them. This means they can’t be let out during the full moon. Until you find your anchor, you have to be chained up.” 

Isaac’s face paled at the thought of being any kind of trapped before Vanessa slid her hand on top of his, murmuring to him reassuringly, “You won’t be in the dark. And as soon as the sun comes up, you'll be unchained. It’s just to make sure you don’t accidentally hurt yourself or someone else.” 

“Right,” the Alpha agreed, nodding his head, “The full moon isn’t until weeks away. In the meantime, I will focus on teaching you guys how to try to find an anchor at the same time as learning how to fight.” 

He stood up, heading over to wash his plate in the basin before using one of the towels they brought to dry it before putting it back into the container. He turned around to find all three of the teenagers looking at him in amusement. 

“What?” 

“Nothing,” Vanessa commented, her lips quirking up at him, “That was just the most human thing I’ve ever seen you do.” 

He rolled his eyes at her before walking off, “I’m going to bed. If you’re loud, you can sleep in the carpark.” 

“Alright, night Dad!” the brunette called after him, her friends bursting out laughing from beside her. 

Derek threw up his middle finger before jumping up to the ceiling space above, leaving them to their jokes and ribbing. 

“Alright,” Vanessa turned back to her friends as she asked, “Who wants to shower first?” 

After about five rounds of scissors, paper, rock, Erica went off to the portable shower to have her turn, leaving the couple to clean up the makeshift kitchen. 

Isaac brushed against her back to move around her despite the wide space, the girl raising an eyebrow at him as he turned his back. Her eyes narrowed in determination as she slid in front of him, bending over slightly to drop some scraps into the waste bin. She heard his sharp inhale and grinned. Vanessa turned towards him, lashes lowered as she whispered ' _sorry_ ' before continuing on with putting everything away. Once that was done, she spun around and bumped into a hard chest. The boy stared down at her with dark eyes that sent shivers down her spine. He backed her up until her hips hit the basin, taking advantage of her surprise to lean down and take her lips for his own. 

Her hands slid up the nape of his neck to run through his curls, pulling him down to kiss him back. He lifted her up onto the basin, one arm holding her steadily while the other kneaded her thigh, their tongues brushing against the other. The feel of him against her made her whole body come to life, standing to attention as the mechanisms worked to make her feel more, make her **demand** for more. One of her legs went around his waist, drawing him closer until their hips met as his lips left hers to travel down her jaw, leaving bruising marks in their wake the more south he went. His tongue licked a hot stripe along her collarbone, Vanessa gasping out at the sensation and tightening her grip on his hair. 

The sound of someone clearing their throat broke out from behind them, the brunette’s eyes widening as she saw Erica standing in the middle of the room with a smirk on her face while she watched the couple detach themselves from one another. Vanessa lifted herself down from the basin, coughing awkwardly as the boy beside her scratched at his messy hair. 

“Um, it’s your turn, Nessa?” her friend jerked her thumb at the shower on the other side of the room. 

The brunette nodded her head, “Okay, yep, um, I’ll just go get my clothes and I’ll go do that.” 

She quickly showered and clothed herself, smiling at Isaac when he went in after her. She was almost tempted to stick around but figured that Derek would rather kill his whole pack and her than have to be in the same building with _**that**_ happening. 

Vanessa joined Erica on the ceiling space, plopping down next to her friend and pulling out her laptop while the blonde looked at her like she grew a second head. 

“What?” 

“You’re not sleeping with me tonight.” 

“Why the fuck not?” 

Erica leaned over to whisper quietly to her, “You’re going to go sleep in your boyfriend’s bed.” 

“Um, why?” 

“Because I’m not having you pining in mine all night.” 

“What happened to you? You used to be so sweet,” Vanessa pouted jokingly. 

The blonde shook her head, smiling, “This **is** me being sweet. Now shoo, I wanna see Isaac’s face when he comes out and sees you in his bed.” 

“Wow, I've been rubbing off on you, haven’t I?” 

“What can I say?” Erica shrugged, beaming proudly, “I’m more of a listen and learn kind of girl.” 

Vanessa smirked in approval at her friend’s new attitude before picking up her stuff and balancing on the beam to cross over to Isaac’s side of the space. Dropping off her bag beside the cots, she slipped between the sheets and made herself comfortable before closing her eyes to drift off to sleep. 

\- 

From the shower below, Isaac shut off the water and towelled himself off, icy droplets sliding down his chest. The boy had needed to cool off after what happened with Vanessa and he was relieved that he could now just go back up to sleep. After getting changed into the sweatpants and shirt that his girlfriend had bought with her, he jumped up to the ceiling space and almost fell back when he saw the sight that greeted him. The girl had made herself quite at home, lying on her side and claiming one of his pillows in her arms. Her hair was covering her face, but he could hear her heart beat starting to slow as she began to succumb to sleep. 

He turned around to see Erica sitting crossed legged on her own cot with her phone out, laughing silently behind her hand at him. 

“Was this your doing?” he pointed at his own makeshift bed with his brow raised questioningly. 

The blonde nodded, smirking as she whispered, “You’re welcome.” 

“I thought you were nice!” 

“That is me being nice. Now go to sleep and spoon your girlfriend.” 

He rolled his eyes at her before turning to approach his bed slowly. Vanessa was half-asleep when he gingerly slipped in beside her, the girl rolling to face him immediately and throwing her arm around him. He stilled, eyes softening as she mumbled under her breathe a little, “Hey.” 

“Hi,” he whispered back, slipping his hand into hers as she rolled back onto her other side and dragging his arm over to lay on her stomach. His breathing hitched as her scent drifted back to him, sweet like the candy floss body spray he had seen in her room during their study sessions. He buried his nose in her hair, her soft, steady heartbeat lulling him into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things:
> 
> \- If anyone is wondering about how Isaac's personality changed over the span of two days, i'm drumming it up to Isaac subconsciously taking on Derek's attitude problem and morphing it into his own. I also think he has more confidence now that he's free to act the way he wants to act without fear of punishment.
> 
> \- For those that want to point out about why Vanessa redecorated the Den, I just want to point out that there's no way me or any of my friends would willingly stay in a fucking abandoned railroad depot without any camping gear and food. Like, it's just no happening so I don't think that will go over well with other teenagers either. Also the Wolf Den - as Vanessa calls it - will be featured in other parts of the series despite Derek and his pack moving out at the beginning of season 3 because I thought that it they literally have a cool hangout that the hunters never discovered - in canon - and it would be a good place to house wolves and other creatures who were homeless or were kicked out. And it's a cool place to bunker down in case of ambushes with other packs and hunters.
> 
> \- Anyone that has a problem with Vanessa making Derek spend $500 on a grocery trip to get essential items for him and his pack - come at me. She's not a gold digger and that's not what's happening here. Derek literally drives a Camaro guys so ???? I'm sure he can afford to buy groceries for his pack like ????
> 
> \- Songs that influenced this fic were 'Bloodstream' by Stateless and 'Sail' by AWOLNATION - both songs used for the make-out session between Vanessa and Isaac in the kitchen.


	9. Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our last and final Beta joins the pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everybody enjoys this chapter x I woke up to a comment this morning and I was like 'here's a chapter, you beautiful person!'. I love you feedback guys, so please do not be afraid to leave a comment and a kudos!

The morning sun creeped under Vanessa’s eyelids the next morning, prying them open against her will and leaving her blinking the sleep out of eyes. It took her sleep muddled brain to process where she was for a moment, a long, hard minute she spent unaware of the boy sleeping next to her. Until the warmth of his hand burnt through the layers of clothing she wore to her skin beneath and his hot breath hit her neck, sending goosebumps erupting all over as she slowly turned to face him. Isaac wore that same peaceful expression she had seen when she watched him sleep the night his father died, the one that sent her heart wrenching itself out of her chest at the sight while simultaneously giving it such warmth that she thought she might never feel cold. 

“Why are you staring at me?” his lips mumbled, deep blue eyes blinking open before gazing down at her softly. 

“Because you’re really pretty when you sleep,” she whispered back with a small smile. 

“Just what every guy wants to hear.” 

“What would you rather hear then?” 

“I’d rather we hear nothing,” Isaac murmured before gathering her up against him and kissing her slowly. 

The girl moaned into his mouth as he hovered over her, her hands sliding under shirt to wander up the smooth, hard muscle beneath. She arched her back as he teased her lips with his tongue, licking at the seams to be let in. She gave him entrance, nails digging into his back as he claimed her mouth. His own hands were wandering lower to her ass when they heard Derek bark out from the other side of the shower curtain they had put up for privacy. 

“It’s literally six in the morning. _Six in the fucking morning_ and you’re already at each other like rabbits.” 

Vanessa broke away from Isaac as the boy’s head fell forward to her shoulder in frustration, jerking his hands back from her lower back to push himself onto his side. The two teenagers were left breathing heavily as Erica growled out from across the ceiling space. 

“Shut the fuck up.” 

The brunette had enough and hefted herself up, pointing a finger at the grumpy blonde. 

“Do you want your makeover? Because if you do, get your ass up now.” 

Her answering groan brought a smile to Vanessa’s lips as she leaned down to give Isaac a kiss on the forehead before getting out of bed to balance her way across to her friend’s side of the ceiling. She towered over the cot where Erica laid with a pillow over her head and crossed her arms. 

“Sweetie?” 

No response. 

“Erica?” 

A muffled grunt. 

“Erica, get you fucking ass up now.” 

Clawed nails pulled the pillow off her face and was thrown across the space to hit Isaac in the back where he lay on his stomach. The boy rolled over onto his side with a frown on his face as he asked, “What the hell did I do?” 

Vanessa shook her head at him, waving it off, “She’s angry at everything in the morning.” 

The blonde on the bed beside her glared up at her with glowing eyes as she growled out, “ **Let me sleep.** ” 

“No. We’re going to school and I want to see everybody shit themselves when they see you,” the brunette tilted her head, lips pursed as she repeated, “Now get up so I can give you a makeover.” 

“ _Fine._ ” 

Erica hefted herself up slowly, taking her time to stretch before hopping out of her cots. 

“Thatta girl,” Vanessa clapped as the blonde flipped her off before literally flipping off the roof to go shower, “Loving the new attitude. Bitch looks good on you!” 

“Fuck you too, Nessa!” 

The brunette threw her head back laughing as she turned to face Isaac from where he was gaping at them both. 

“I love that girl,” she grinned at him, balancing back across to get her bag with all her toiletries in it. 

A pair of arms snatched her back so she landed on Isaac’s lap, the boy’s lips attaching themselves to her neck to nibble at the tender flesh under her jaw. 

She giggled at the ticklish sensation, squirming against him as she whined, “Come on, handsome, I need to get dressed.” 

Vanessa glanced around to look at him, watching his eyes light up suggestively before chiding him, “Stop that before Derek comes over here and breaks us up.” 

They heard the man’s voice grumble out from the other side of the curtain, “I’ll fucking do it.” 

Isaac sighed, placing a less than chaste kiss on her neck before letting her go. She turned around and kissed his lips softly as a consolation prize for being a good sport before hurrying downstairs to where Erica was toweling off her hair. The blonde watched as Vanessa whipped out a hairdryer, plugging into the power outlet and directing her friend to dry her hair while she showers. 

When Vanessa came back out five minutes later, Erica’s hair was dry, and the blonde had already gone ahead brushing it into smooth, golden waves. The brunette searched her bag for the leather jacket and tight black mini skirt she had thrown in, laying it all out on Erica’s chair before moving on to pick out her own clothes. 

“Once I’m done, change into those,” Vanessa directed her friend before revealing the heels she had also picked out, “And pray to God that your werewolf reflexes can survive these bad girls.” 

She hurried into the bathroom, changing into a white floral dress that stopped at her midthigh and knee high white cotton socks before hiking herself up on the basin to slip on her white pumps. The girl headed out to switch with Erica, the other girl smiling nervously before shutting the door behind her. Vanessa started up on making breakfast, craving some pancakes and coffee. By the time Isaac had come down to see what she had been cooking, Erica had been out for about thirty minutes and the brunette was on her third batch of pancakes. 

“Were you planning on using all the batter?” Isaac asked his girlfriend as he moved around her to get a plate, “Where is it all?” 

“Oh, I’ve already eaten,” Vanessa explained, eyes wide as she gestured to the little bit of pancake mix left, “You can have the rest, if you want. Only because your special, though.” 

“I feel **real** special, Ness,” the boy drawled sarcastically as he poured it into the pan. 

“Derek,” she called, looking up at the ceiling space above, “Did you want brekky?” 

“School starts in half an hour, doesn't it?” he responded drily, glancing down at her, “It takes at least fifteen minutes to get there.” 

“Fuck,” the brunette hissed, gathering up her bags and emptying out the spare clothes she was planning on leaving there for the two teenagers before hurrying over to where Erica was munching on her toast to do her makeup, “Pucker up princess.” 

“I’m eating,” the girl mumbled back, holding a hand over her mouth as Vanessa came at her with red lipstick, mascara and eyeliner. 

“Alright, we need to head out,” the brunette jumped back after she was done, bounding over to where her boyfriend was enjoying his one pancake and kissing him on the cheek, “I’ll see you later, handsome. Derek, we’ll meet you in the garage.” 

The two girls hurried up the stairs, which was hard for Vanessa to do with such heavy shoes. Erica no longer experienced that problem, her balance and agility speeding her past the brunette and leaving her waiting on the top of the stairwell for the girl to catch up. 

“Derek,” Vanessa panted as she reached the top, “I think I’m seriously considering that bite now.” 

“Yeah and have you talking my ear off permanently? I don’t think so,” he muttered from behind her, heading over to unlock the Camaro. 

“I’m really fucking hurt that you don’t consider me permanent anyway,” she gasped as she hopped into the backseat alongside Erica. 

“I don’t really fucking care, Vanessa,” he quipped back sarcastically, “You and your boyfriend woke me up with you're goddamn hormones this morning so now I’m pissed off.” 

“You know what would fix that?” she posed, inspecting her nails as she waited for his reply as he drove out onto the street outside. 

“What?” 

“You need to get fucking laid.” 

He grunted, red eyes flashing in the review mirror before he turned his attention back to the front, “Just for that, you’re not coming over this afternoon.” 

The girl gasped, genuinely hurt by this, “But-but – “ 

“No buts. That also extends to the weekend. Until I get my Beta, you’re staying at home.” 

“That’s just cold,” she grumbled, leaning back against the leather as he headed to school. 

“It’s a cold, cold world,” Erica patted her shoulder to comfort her, “I’m sure Isaac will understand. Don’t pine too hard, sweetie.” 

“The sarcasm is _literally_ melting off your voice,” Vanessa pointed out, scowling at the sweet smile on her friend’s face. 

“What can I say, I learnt from the best.” 

After ten minutes of glaring at the back of a certain werewolf’s head, they pulled up down the street from the school. Derek turned to them, arching a brow at the burning resentment in the brunette’s eyes. 

“Have a good day at school,” he smirked, waving at them from the window after Vanessa slammed the door loudly behind her. 

“Have a good day my ass,” she muttered as they headed up the steps, “I’m only here because I wanna see everybody pass out when they look at you.” 

“I think you won’t have to wait for that,” Erica replied, looking around at the gaping faces. 

Vanessa smirked victoriously as a guy broke up with his girlfriend just to watch Erica walk by, eyes glued to every curve and shiny golden skin on display as the two headed to the front door. The two girls exchanged wicked looks as the entire corridor stopped to stare at the blonde bombshell they used to make fun of. 

“This is going to be fun,” the blonde announced before sashaying down the hall to make every guy’s – and some girl’s - dreams come true just by existing in the same atmosphere as them. 

\- 

The brunette didn’t actually get to have _her_ fun until midday, when she was walking into the cafeteria to find Stiles begging a dark-skinned boy for the keys to the ice rink. She caught the name Boyd and jerked back in pleasant surprise, connecting the dots between the Boyd that Erica sometimes studied with and the Boyd that sat before her friend. 

“This isn’t a favor,” the boy shook his head as her best friend jerked at the keys in his hand, “It’s a transaction.” 

_Ohhhh, a businessman. Very interesting._

“Uh, right. Absolutely,” Stiles nodded, digging into his wallet and drawing out a twenty dollar note. 

Boyd did not look impressed as he glanced down at it before looking at Stiles with a dead pan expression on his face. 

“I said fifty.” 

“Really? I remember 20. I don’t know, I have a really good verbal memory and I remember twenty. I remember that distinctive ‘ _twa_ ’ sound. _Twa_ -enty.” 

“I said fifty,” Boyd firmly stated, not keen on taking the other boy’s bullshit ramblings, “With a ' _fa_ ' sound. Hear the difference? If you can’t, I can demonstrate some other words with the ' _fa_ ' sound.” 

His intimidation worked as Stiles stammered, “Uh, no, no, no. I think I’m recalling it now. Maybe I just got confused with _for_ -ty.” 

Her best friend placed another twenty down, eyes flickering up hopefully at the other teenager. Boyd leaned back in his seat, munching on another Dorito as Stiles rolled his eyes, groaning. 

“Come on, man, have you seen the piece of crap jeep that I drive?” 

Boyd scoffed at him before rebutting, “Have you seen the piece of crap bus that I take?” 

Stiles gaped at him, trying to find a comeback before realizing he had a good point, reaching into his pocket for another ten dollars to comply with Boyd’s request. The other boy smiled sweetly as Stiles shook his head at him like he was evil, although he had flashed Vanessa that same smile a million times before and described it as ‘ _business went well smile._ ’ 

Boyd held out the keys, the other boy snatching them up with a sarcastic, “Okay, thank you,” before walking back to his seat. Vanessa watched her best friend return to his seat three tables down where Scott was waiting for him before turning her attention back to the boy now sitting alone, smile gone. His eyes darted around, as if searching for something or someone that wasn’t there. She was trying to figure out who as she walked towards her two best friends, who were chatting excitedly with each other about meeting at the rink, when the room when the room went silent. 

She followed Scott’s line of sight to the entrance of the cafeteria before breaking out into a proud smile. Erica had just walked in, body tight, flush and wrapped in leather as she looked around the room with her red lips pursed in a smirk. The girl’s eyes narrowed on her chosen target as she leaned on a random boy’s shoulder, staring at him with sultry brown eyes as she plucked up an apple from his tray before bringing it to her lips. 

“ _What. The holy hell. Is that?_ ” Lydia asked as she slapped her hands-on top of the table Scott and Stiles was sitting at, all eyes on the blonde girl as she giggled and slid a teasing finger along the outline of her lips. 

“It’s Erica,” Scott frowned, not seeing a drop-dead gorgeous girl but another of his kind as his hands fisted up in anger at the man responsible for the girl’s change, unaware of how responsible his **best friend** actually was for it. 

“Hell, yes it is!” Vanessa uttered, grinning as her friend waved her fingers at her before walking out of the cafeteria leaving drool and utter awe behind in her wake. 

Stiles and Scott got up from their chairs to go after her, leaving Lydia behind shaking her head at them. Vanessa, on the other hand, was watching Boyd shake his head to himself, disappointment dulling his eyes as he glanced around. It became startling clear to her at that moment that Erica was probably one of his only friends, judging by the lack of people sitting at his table, and to him it looked like she had just joined a league of her own, leaving him behind alone. Maybe this one just needed to know that he could enter that league if he wanted and make friends with all the right players. 

She dropped her tray down in front of him, giving him a winning smile as he arched his brow at her. 

“Hey, I’m Vanessa,” she held her hand out, not surprised in the slightest when he looked at it warily before she asked, “Your name’s Boyd, right? Erica’s friend?” 

His eyes widened slightly in recognition, “You’re the girl she always talks about?” 

“She talks about me?” the brunette smirked, leaning back to watch the entrance her friend had strutted out of only five minutes ago, “She is so never living that down.” 

He scoffed, “Doesn’t seem like it.” 

She tilted her head in confusion before she gasped, “Oh that? That was a prank we pulled on everyone to get back for laughing at her yesterday. I gave her a makeover and lent her some clothes because she’s staying at a friends place now to get away from her parents but she’s still the same ole’ Erica.” 

“Really?” Boyd drawled, sounding as skeptical as he looked. 

“In fact,” she leaned over, glancing around before whispering, “She asked me if you wanted to hang out with us this afternoon. I saw that you gave Stiles the key to the – ice rink, was it? – so that means your free, right?” 

“I guess,” he shrugged nonchalantly, but she could see the silent hope rising in his eyes. 

“Perfect,” Vanessa rubbed her hands together beaming at him before continuing, “Let me just text her that you're in and I’ll let you know where she wants you to meet.” 

The girl pulled out her phone to type out a text. 

**VANESSA: _Tell Derek I have his last Beta._**

**ERICA: _We just left school x who is it?_**

**VANESSA: _Your friend Boyd. Is that okay?_**

**ERICA: _If Derek tells him about the bite and he accepts it, that’s all good with me._**

**VANESSA: _Can Derek pick him up this afternoon from school?_**

**ERICA: _He said to tell him to wait at the front. Derek will be there at 3:15._**

**VANESSA: _Goodie 😊 Does that mean I’m allowed back!?_**

**ERICA: _Sorry, sweetie. Derek says no ☹_**

**VANESSA: _fucking sour-wolf ☹_**

**ERICA: _See you next week xoxo_**

**VANESSA: _See you too hun xoxo_**

**VANESSA: _Tell Isaac that I’ll see him as soon as my exile is over 😉_**

**ERICA: _GROSS._**

“Are you done yet?” Boyd uttered, staring at the range of expressions that had crossed her face in amusement. 

Vanessa sighed, apologizing, “I’m sorry, I got distracted. My friend will pick you up around front at quarter past three. Is that okay?” 

“Aren’t you coming?” 

“I, have been temporarily banned because I told my friend he needed to get laid and he didn’t appreciate the advice I was trying to give him,” she explained, leaning back and nodding as if she was fine with it. 

“What did he do to deserve that comment?” Boyd asked, lips quirking up at her. 

“He was being a meanie,” she pouted childishly, crossing her hands over her chest as she added, “He kept interrupting my very PG rated kisses with my boyfriend.” 

They both knew that they weren’t PG rated kisses at all but the boy, thankfully, decided not to call her out on her bullshit. 

“You know,” he began, smiling slightly at her, “Erica was right about you.” 

“How so?” she smiled, eyes sparking in interest. 

“She told me you had a sense of humor. I didn’t get why that was so fascinating until now.” 

“Aw shucks,” she waved her hand at him, grinning prettily before turning serious, “She told you I swore like sailor and had no filter, didn’t she?” 

“Yep.” \- 

It was the next Monday, after a weekend of pining over her boyfriend and punching pillows with Derek’s face on them, when Vanessa and Erica were at their lockers, using the mirrors inside to touch up their makeup instead of doing their homework. The blonde was chatting excitedly about how Boyd had spent the weekend at the depot with the pack after Derek had told him about the Bite. He had graciously given the boy until that Monday night to make his choice, allowing him to come around afterwards if he rejected it. 

“Isaac told me he misses you by the way,” Erica added, spinning towards her with a suggestive grin. 

“Don’t tell me that,” Vanessa whined, stomping her foot childishly, “That’ll make me miss him more.” 

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” 

“Absence makes the heart grow fucking grumpy,” the brunette muttered before catching someone out of the corner of her eye. 

Scott was walking down the hall towards them, eyes narrowed on the blonde who was adding another layer of gloss before noticing him in the reflection of her mirror. Vanessa bit her lip as Erica turned to the boy with a smirk, although her eyes flashed with panic very briefly before she veiled them with a sultry look. 

“Two’s not enough for Derek,” he said to the blonde before glancing at his best friend, who wore a sheepish expression that all but admitted her guilt before continuing, “I know he needs at least three. So, who’s next?” 

Erica scoffed, slamming her locker shut before turning to him, “Why does there have to be a next one when we already got you?” 

Not a lie, he would see right through that. But a pretty solid evasion, she would give her that. It was a truth wrapped in a lie, wrapped in another truth. Vanessa wondered if Erica had learnt it from her, or from Derek because whoever her teacher was, they needed to give the girl an A. 

“Who’s next?” Scott repeated firmly, knowing that Derek wouldn’t settle for him as his third until the boy accepted his place in the pack. 

The blonde girl blinked, tilting her head as she smiled, “You know, I never knew what I looked like during a seizure until someone took a video of me once and put it online.” 

“I don’t care,” the boy shook his head. 

Vanessa gaped at him and his rudeness, about to go forward and give him a verbal ass whooping before Erica held up a hand to stop her. 

“It happened during class,” she continued, eyes dulling at the memory, “I started seizing in my desk and everyone was saying how they should put something in my mouth until some **genius** reads the card on my key ring which tells him not to ‘cause it could break my teeth.” 

Scott jerked back at her bitterness, catching on quickly to the reason why she was telling him this. The reason why she had _chosen_ this, “Erica -” 

“Do you know what happens next?” Vanessa watched as her friend’s eyes turned glassy as she cocked her head back, “I piss myself. And they start laughing. You know, the only good thing about seizures was that I never remembered them. Until some brilliant _jerkoff_ – “ 

The blonde shoved Scott into the lockers behind him, getting into his face as she continued, “Had to go and put cameras in everybody’s phone.” 

Vanessa started forward to pull the girl off as she caged Scott in between her and the locker behind him, purring softly. The brunette caught a familiar figure standing at the other end of the hall, watching the two with barely contained jealousy that the dark-haired girl tried to pull off as nonchalance. 

“Sweetie, you made your point,” Vanessa murmured gently as she laid a hand on her shoulder, “Scott isn’t the enemy, remember?” 

“No, he isn’t,” the blonde replied, taking her hands off the lockers and stepping back beside the brunette as she gestured to herself, “Look at me now, Scott!” 

“Didn’t he tell you?” the boy exclaimed, lunging forward as he whispered harshly, “This isn’t just power. It’s a **death** sentence.” 

“Not if you can learn to control it,” Vanessa reminded him, sliding in between the volatile werewolves in an extra _dumbass_ signature move, “It’s not a death sentence if they learn to control it. If they learn to hide, to fight, to protect one another.” 

“How is _this_ hiding?” Scott hissed back, gesturing to the blonde’s new appearance. 

“How is this wrong?” the brunette exclaimed, pushing him back, “That can be explained away by a simple fucking makeover and some confidence. She hasn’t killed, she hasn’t done freaky tricks in lacrosse and she isn’t going around with a hunter!” 

The boy ran a hand through his hair as he sighed, “That was different. That was before I knew what it meant to be like this!” 

“Oh wow, like it’s _so_ fucking hard!” Vanessa shook her head at him, probing his chest, “You had Peter for a fucking Alpha, and you’ve turned out fine! You got yourself an anchor, friends, popularity, a spot on the lacrosse team and you still found someway to get the girl. Life fucking sucks being a werewolf, doesn’t it?!” 

“ **Quiet** ,” he growled, glancing around the empty hall, “ _Fine._ Maybe it’s not hard for me. But I’m still learning control, I’m still struggling every day. I have to hide the fact I’m in love with my girlfriend because her family wants me and everyone like me dead! Is it so wrong for me to try to protect other kids from dying!?” 

“No!” she cried, taking a deep breath in as she pointed to Erica, “But it is wrong to ignore the fact that people have been struggling every day since they were kids. They couldn’t learn to control what they went through, they had to suffer alone with no one to help them until someone came along and offered to. You walked past these people everyday and claim they’re better off because they don’t have hunters after them? What about Isaac? He had to live in a house where he was abused _every single fucking day_. Erica had to suffer from epileptic seizures that came out of the fucking blue and that kids openly used as entertainment. If any of them had tried to mess with her during something like that, or God forbid, did **anything** else to her, she wouldn’t remember it until it was spread around school the next day.” 

Vanessa was sobbing as she shoved her friend back once more, “My friends were suffering _every goddamn day_ for most of their lives and you say **you don’t care?!** ” 

Scott stammered out, “That’s not what I meant!” 

“Isn't it? You didn’t want to hear her reasons, her pain. You just wanted someone to blame!” 

“Don’t defend Derek – “ 

“Why? Because he killed Peter? Because he stole the Alpha power back from someone who didn’t deserve it? Because he used that power to offer kids a way to be powerful, to give them back a piece of themselves they thought were lost? Derek is trying to _save_ them. He has accepted responsibility for them as his pack, has informed them of everything that comes with what he’s offering and is going to teach them everything they need to know about how to survive. Tell me, does that sound **evil** to you?” 

“I can’t just let him go around turning kids, Nessie,” Scott said quietly. 

“He's not the one we have to worry about,” she murmured back, eyes softening slightly, “We have to focus on the creature that attacked you and Allison at Isaac’s house and the mass of Argent hunters preparing to track you guys down like dogs.” 

“She’s right,” Erica chimed in, sliding an arm around her waist as she said seriously, “You can’t keep wasting your time turning Derek away when you need him for what’s to come. You need us all and we need you.” 

“I’m not in your pack,” he grounded out in response. 

“Not yet,” the blonde purred again before Vanessa sent her a warning look, rolling her eyes as she continued, “But when you need us, we’ll be there. Even if you don’t call us, we’ll still come. Derek told me to tell you that.” 

Erica spun on her heel to head down the hall, hips swaying as she rounded the corner on her way to Chemistry. 

Scott turned back to Vanessa, pleading as he grabbed her arm, “You have to tell me who the next one is.” 

“No!” she shouted, wrenching her arm out of his grip, “Look, you’re my brother, Scott. You and Stiles are the closest to siblings as I’m ever gonna get and I am your best friend, first and foremost. It is as your best friend that I’m telling you to _**let this one go**_.” 

His brown eyes searched hers, finding only steely resolution within her as he backed off, rubbing a hand over his mouth as he muttered, “You know I can’t do that.” 

“Just like you know I can’t tell you. Because we want to protect and help others.” 

With that, the brunette left him standing there looking after her sadly as she turned the corner and broke down into tears. 

\- 

It was just after spending two hours on the roof crying that Vanessa finally left to get food. She didn’t know why it was so hard for Scott to understand! Was it because he didn’t lead the same life they did? Sure, he suffered from asthma but that wasn’t as severe as abuse or seizures. If he really thought about it, he would see that his own troubled experience harrowed the way he should see the bite as a whole. Just like with different lives, people perceived offers differently. He didn’t have a choice; it was thrust upon him with no one around except Derek – who was admittingly a bit harsh in his attempts to teach him control. He didn’t understand that Derek had changed, only seeing his own past as their future. 

_In other words, he was being a narrow-minded idiot._

It was admirable, his determination to keep kids from becoming targets but with the way Gerard came across, it seemed like everybody was a fucking target. Either that, or a tool for him to use in order to get what he wanted. Scott needed to stop trying to prevent a war that had already been started and start preparing for it by dealing with the problem head on. Instead, the boy was making up new problems in his head and going after them while the real big bads’ bided their time growing stronger and more powerful. 

Scott was Scott though and he wouldn’t stop unless he saw himself through or he was faced with no choice but to back off. Which meant it was only a matter of time until he figured out who Derek was turning next. She didn’t expect him and Stiles to be chatting about it two hours after their confrontation in the hall nor did she expect to walk right into their conversation. 

“I’m gonna go to the ice rink and see if he’s there,” Scott told Stiles as they rounded the corner, not having noticed her yet, “If he’s not at home, you call me, got it?” 

“Maybe we should let him,” Stiles suggested, sighing heavily as he turned to his best friend, “Boyd, you know, man? You said Derek’s giving them a choice, right?” 

“He is,” Vanessa interrupted, coming up beside the boy with the buzz cut to look up at Scott earnestly, “He told them everything they needed to know and they’re still choosing it. It doesn’t sound like a big, nefarious, evil plan to me.” 

“We _can’t_ ,” Scott insisted in a hushed voice, walking along, “They’re not making the _right_ choice.” 

“Who are you to decide what the right and wrong choices are?” the girl spat, shooting him an irritated look. 

“You gotta admit, Erica looks pretty good. You know the word _sensational_ comes to mind,” Stiles pointed out, eyes staring off into the distance as if he could still see the blonde bombshell, “She looked like she made a _very_ good choice.” 

“How do you think she’s gonna look like with a wolfsbane bullet in her head?” Scott rebutted, waving at his own head. 

“Well for one, Erica’s smart. She won’t get caught,” the brunette pointed out, listing them with her fingers, “Two, Derek will teach her how to control herself and has already offered to chain her and the others up during the full moon. Three, she’s not in love with a hunter so I think she’s going to be pretty sweet if you would just shut your pie hole and stop bringing attention to yourself and them.” 

“She’s got a point, dude,” Stiles nodded, throwing an arm around the short girl as he explained, “You do lack subtlety.” 

“And Erica doesn’t?” 

“She’s not doing backflips off her girlfriend’s rooftop.” 

“Guys, you know this thing will go out of control and that will make _me_ responsible!” he cried out, halting them with his arm as he begged, “Can you at least just let me try to convince him not to? Let me just try, please!” 

“All right, I’m with you,” Stiles threw his hands up in defeat, “And I gotta say, this newfound heroism is making me very attracted to you.” 

“Shut up.” 

“No, seriously,” the boy stopped Scott with a hand to the chest, “Do you wanna try making out for a sec? Just to see how it feels!” 

Scott laughed at their friend’s joking before turning to her with a pleading smile, “Are you in or out?” 

Vanessa sighed at the adorable brown puppy dog eyes before relenting, “I’ll drive. Stiles, head to his house as planned. Scott, we’ll head to the ice rink. But no fighting Derek if Boyd still wants the bite. No showdowns, no vicious verbal or physical attacks and no wounding each other.” 

“No promises,” she heard him mutter as they headed for her car, the girl sighing heavily as she hopped in and waved goodbye to the boy pulling out in the blue jeep. 

_This is going to go over real smooth._

\- 

Vanessa and Scott arrived at the ice rink half an hour later after arguing several times in the car before moving to fight over the radio station they listened to. She was relieved when they hopped out, the boy leading them in through the unlocked door and to the rink where Boyd seemed to be working. The girl waved at him as she stepped onto the rink, knowing it wouldn’t be slippery while he was on the rink. She took up a spot on the outskirts, leaning against the clear plastic as her best friend approached the boy. 

“Boyd,” Scott called out as he made his way slowly to the machine, “I just wanna talk.” 

The boy ignored him, facing forward and pretending like Scott wasn’t there. She sighed heavily to herself, knowing that Boyd could stand his ground just by watching him win a negotiation with Stiles with silence. 

“Hey, come on, Boyd, please,” Scott begged him, looking so earnest that Vanessa felt sorry for him. 

_How did he not sense it yet?_

“Did Derek tell you everything?” 

The brunette huffed frustration at her best friend, who had clearly been ignoring her the half a dozen times she told him that Derek told them _everything_ before offering the bite. 

“And I don’t mean going out of control on the full moons, I mean **everything**.” 

She watched as Boyd stopped the machine, leaning back in his seat as he told Scott, “He told me about the hunters.” 

“And that’s not enough for you to say no?” 

The boy was strong in his silence as Scott insisted, “Whatever you want, there’s other ways to get it.” 

“I just wanna not eat lunch alone every day,” Boyd sighed, loneliness clinging to him like a second skin. 

“If you’re looking for friends, you can do _a lot_ better than Derek,” her best friend scoffed. 

“That really hurts, Scott,” a familiar voice echoed through the room. 

Vanessa’s head whipped to the right as Derek, Erica and Isaac walked onto the rink. She nearly collapsed right then and there when she saw her boyfriend in that leather jacket, tall and dark with a bored expression on his handsome face before he turned to her. Isaac gave her a little smile that made butterflies flutter around in her stomach, winking as he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned back to Scott. The brunette raised an eyebrow, coming to stand beside her best friend as Derek continued on. 

“If you’re going to review me, at least take a consensus,” the Alpha waved his hands at the two teenagers next to him, smiling in amusement as he called on the blonde girl, “Erica, how’s life been for you since we met?” 

Her friend made a show of considering it for a moment before drawling out, “In a word….. _ **transformative**_.” 

Vanessa watched as Erica’s teeth sharped to four deadly canines before roaring, a smile quirking at her lips as she whispered to Scott, “That is pretty transformative. _Pretty_ and transformative.” 

Scott glared at her to shut up as Derek called on her boyfriend, “Isaac?” 

“Well, I’m a little bummed about being a fugitive,” the boy began sarcastically, “but other than that, I’m great.” 

She blew him a kiss before yelling out, “Don’t worry, handsome, I’m working on that.” 

Isaac and Erica grinned at her, Derek’s own lips twitching at the sight of Vanessa’s usual eccentric behavior before continuing his showdown with Scott – who promised there _wouldn’t_ be any kind of show down in the first place. 

The brunette threw up her hands in defeat, muttering, “I say no show down, what does he do? Has a big fucking show down. I say move on and respect peoples choices and what does he do? Has a big show down. Well, the human is going over in the safe zone while you pups fight it out, 'kay?” 

“You do you, beautiful,” she heard Isaac call out to her as she made her way to lean against the machine Boyd was sitting on. 

She shot him a thumbs up before waving Scott on, “You may continue.” 

“Okay, hold on. This isn’t exactly a fair fight,” her best friend said, turning to Derek. 

“Then go home, Scott.” 

Derek approached the boy, taking the lead with the two betas falling behind as their eyes flickered gold and their claws came out. Scott, being a fucking **drama queen** , punched a hole through the floor that poor Boyd was going to have a hell of a time explaining to his boss before roaring, “I meant fair for them.” 

Vanessa watched with boredom as Derek swiped at Scott’s legs, the latter falling backwards in time for Erica to land on his chest with her claws digging in. Her best friend growled as he threw the girl off just as Isaac replaced her, pulling Scott up by the shirt and swiping sharp claws at him. Scott kicked out at the taller boy, sending him off balance enough to grab him and throw him against the plastic screens. The brunette made to run to her boyfriend before Boyd reached down to stop her with a heavy hand on her shoulder. 

“I don’t think he’d want you to get in the way,” he murmured to her, pushing her back gently. 

The girl nodded nervously as she watched Isaac get to his feet with a growl, prowling over and grabbing Scott’s attention as Erica came behind to shove him forward hard, her best friend falling into Isaac’s grasp as Erica scratched at Scott’s arms. Isaac’s golden eyes fell on her for a moment, widening at the discomfort she felt at having to watch her friends all attack each other. 

Deciding she couldn’t watch them all be idiots and do nothing at the same time, she turned to look up at the boy on the machine, “So, I heard you guys had fun on the weekend.” 

“Yeah, I got to sit in on them train,” the boy replied, eyes glued on the fight happening behind her, “It was nothing like this though. Your friend is an impressive fighter.” 

“He had to learn fast,” she explained, shrugging as a proud smile appeared on her face, “I admit. He does have a point about it not being an easy life. You have hunters breathing down your neck and the occasional creature that's gonna try to kill you but at least you have friends this time. When Scott was turned, he didn’t have anyone to go through it with. Stiles and me, of course, were there to help but we didn’t actual experience it quite the same way.” 

“I thought you were supportive of us getting the bite?” 

“I am. Well, more specifically, I’m more supportive about you guys having a _choice_ in the matter,” she grinned, eyes shining as she said, “Choice is important to me because too many times I’ve seen my friends suffer from their choices being taken away from them. Scott didn’t have a choice in becoming a werewolf, Isaac didn’t have a choice with having a deadbeat dad and Erica didn’t have a choice with her epilepsy. Which makes you so interesting because you have a choice, a genuine choice, and even after all Scott and Derek told you about what it means to become one of them, you still made the same choice. And that’s how I know it was a good one.” 

“How did you know?” 

“Because you wanted nothing more than to have friends. And I know you would fight to keep those friends. Protect them, care for them. That’s what it means to be part of a pack. So, congratulations. Welcome to the family.” 

“Are you one of us?” he frowned down at her as she scoffed. 

“ _Me_? No, but family isn’t just blood and sharing every full moon chained together in madness. Family is also the people who help chain you up – which is me and Stiles. For Scott, I mean. We usually have to chain him up, but the boys are like my family. Trust me, I’m adopted so I know that family isn’t just those your related to, it’s a choice.” 

“You like that choice thing, don’t you?” 

“You noticed that, huh?” 

“Hard not to,” Boyd smiled faintly at her before the sound of bones breaking caught her attention. 

Vanessa whipped her head around to see Scott kick her boyfriend in the face, the brunette running to slide in between them. 

“Vanessa!” Derek shouted, walking towards them from the sidelines with wide eyes as Scott’s claws stopped an inch from her eyes. 

“Nessie?” her best friend breathed out, eyes flickering back to brown as he gaped in her in horror. 

The girl ignored them both to check on Isaac, who was lying on his back and growling out in pain. 

“Hey, baby, are you okay?” she whispered to the boy whose golden eyes blinked up at her before he shifted back to his human face. She waited until he nodded back to her before helping him stand up, turning to Scott, “I fucking told you I wouldn’t support you if you were going to be fighting them.” 

“And I told you,” Vanessa pointed at Derek, “I wouldn’t back an Alpha who makes his pack fight for him.” 

The Alpha shook his head, “I stepped back because a wound from an Alpha takes longer to heal. It was your friend who wouldn’t leave well enough alone.” 

Scott charged towards him, the dark-haired man approaching with flickering red eyes in response before the girl stepped in between them again, holding both her hands out to stop them. 

“If you want to have a fucking go at each other, then you’ll have to go through me!” 

“Nessa, this isn’t your fight,” Scott growled as he stared daggers at Derek. 

“He’s right. **Move** before you hurt yourself,” Derek demanded. 

“No! Because hurting each other is just as bad as hurting me,” she argued, scowling at them both, “Pull your head out of your asses and look at yourselves! Forget Gerard and the hunters, they won’t need to break a sweat hunting you down if you _kill each other_ before he leaves his front door!” 

“I can’t let him turn anyone else, Ness,” her best friend shook his head at her. 

“And he won’t,” she responded, looking at him with earnest eyes as she said, “But listen. He’s not a power-hungry asshole like you think he is. Is he making a pack? Yes, but he’s an Alpha. Alpha’s need a pack, the strength and numbers to defend themselves.” 

Vanessa stepped back, sighing deeply before continuing, “Hunters are here. They have declared war against all of you and I doubt that they would spare the ones who aid you, either. So, yes it is my fight."

She turned to her best friend next to her, "And there _will_ be a fight, Scott. Or, if you continue to fight one another, there will be a **massacre**. I’m not a fan of either option but I prefer to have a chance against them rather than bow down and let my friends be killed because they didn’t want to face the real enemy. Yes, Derek had made a pack. Did he do it without their consent? No. He saved them, gave them power and has offered to shelter them, provide for them, teach them and protect them.” 

The girl reached forward to gather Scott's clawed hands up in her own, careful not to cut herself as she softly said to him, “He won’t turn anyone else. He has enough, so just let this one go. Let him have a pack. Let him do his duty as an Alpha, as a leader and as a mentor. You don’t have to be in his pack, you don’t even have to _like_ him. Just, work with him. Don’t turn him down in the hour of our greatest need because you never know when you'll be alone surrounded by enemies with no one to save you. Trust me, it isn’t a good feeling.” 

Scott’s brown eyes softened, knowing she was referring to that terrifying hour spent in the back of Stiles’ jeep while Peter Hale was roaming around outside. His eyes darkened when they considered the man standing behind her and she prayed that Derek wasn’t pulling faces, or some other shithead move so that she could successfully convince Scott to stand down. 

The Alpha must’ve sensed what she was trying to do because he came up beside her, extending a hand as he said, “Agree to work with us and I won’t turn anyone else – at least not before telling you first.” 

Vanessa spun towards Derek in surprise, not expecting him to give her best friend such authority in the matter. It was a pretty good deal for Scott, all things considering. He would not only get allies and information, but he would also get a say in Derek’s responsibilities in expanding the pack. 

Her best friend was silent, brows furrowed, and jaw clenched as he went over the offer in his head before sighing. 

“I’m not a part of your pack. I don’t trust you, not since you killed Peter, “Scott shook his head as he stared at Derek before continuing, “But I trust Vanessa. If she thinks you’ve changed, I will trust her because I actually care about my friends.” 

The brunette turned to the silent Alpha, watching his emotionless face carefully as he nodded to Scott, “Deal. 

Scott turned away, ignoring the Derek's hand, telling Vanessa he would meet her at her car before looking up at Boyd with a helpless look on his face as he asked softly, “You don’t want to be like them. That’s not what you want.” 

Boyd hopped down from the machine to face her friend as he nodded, pulling up his shirt to reveal the fresh bite on his side. 

“You’re right. I wanna be like you.” 

Her best friend sighed before walking out of the ice rink, disappearing around the corner through the double doors. 

Vanessa focused her attention on her two injured friends, their enhanced healing knitting back their wounds as they walked towards where her, Derek and Boyd stood. 

“Are you guys okay?” she asked as she checked them over. 

“We’re all good,” Erica nodded, smiling as she continued, “We just need to get better at this whole fighting thing.” 

“And you will,” Derek declared, eyes softening on the two Betas as he said, “I’m going to train you guys to fight as a pack. You need to take down an enemy together instead of waiting around the sidelines for your shot at the game.” 

The brunette smiled softly as she turned to her boyfriend, caressing his face in her hands as she stared up at him. 

“How about you, handsome? I heard some broken bones there.” 

He smirked reassuringly down at her, pulling her into him for a tight hug as he murmured into her hair, “I’m fine. I was more worried about you jumping in between me and Scott. He nearly got you there.” 

Vanessa scoffed, waving him off, “Please, even if he did – I think I would look pretty sexy with an eyepatch, don’t you?” 

She didn’t get to see Isaac’s eyes widen before Derek grabbed her arm to turn her towards him, “It’s not funny. You could have been killed.” 

“Well, fuck. Would it have taken my death for you both to stop fighting?” the girl arched a brow before pointing out the door that her best friend exited, “Maybe I should call Scott back in and let him finish me off.” 

She heard a deep growl from behind her and turned to find Isaac’s eyes glowing gold once again. 

Erica raised a brow before stating, “Let’s not talk about you D.Y.I.N.G anyone, okay? That doesn’t seem to go over well with Lahey over here.” 

Vanessa frowned, walking up to him and raising her hand slowly to his face as the tall boy breathed long, harsh breaths before cool, gentle fingers traced his cheek. Isaac leaned into them, closing his eyes as his breathing levelled out before opening them again to reveal her favorite color. Deep set blue. 

“It’s alright,” she murmured softly as she ran her hand up his face and into his dark blonde curls, “I was just joking, handsome. Like hell I’d pull off an eyepatch. I’m gorgeous but not _that_ gorgeous.” 

He chuckled nervously, pressing his forehead against hers as he whispered, “Let’s not test the limits of your gorgeousness. I don’t want you getting yourself hurt just to prove there aren’t any.” 

“That’s romantic and all but Isaac’s still a fugitive, so we need to leave,” Derek interrupted. 

Vanessa sighed regretfully before turning to give Derek a sickeningly sweet smile as she asked, “Is my exile revoked?” 

The dark-haired man pretended to consider it before shrugging, “For now. Give me attitude again and I’ll make it for a week.” 

“But I _**always**_ give you attitude!” 

“Then that’s gonna have to stop.” 

“But that’s ninety-eight percent of our relationship!” 

“Then you’re gonna have to fall back on the two percent left.” 

“How about a compromise?” Vanessa suggested, wiggling her eyebrows at him as he sighed, waving at her to go on. 

“I get to give you attitude as long as it does not include undermining you authority or suggesting you get laid.” 

Derek stared at her intently before rolling his eyes, “Deal.” 

She shrieked happily, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend’s neck to lay a hot kiss on him when the Alpha exclaimed from behind them, “ **NO PDA!** ” 

The girl broke away from Isaac to glance at Derek over her shoulder with pleading eyes, “ _Come on!_ ” 

“You get a minute before we physically break you two apart.” 

“ **FUCKING DEAL!** ” 

After indulging in that generous one minute – the kind of indulging that made people hot and bothered just by watching - Vanessa went over to give Erica, and a very shocked but endeared Boyd, a hug before sneaking up behind Derek to wrap her arms around him quickly, sprinting out of the rink as a loud roar and rambunctious laughter broke out behind her, following her out all the way to the parking lot where a very worried Scott sprang up from the hood of her car, eyes glued to the doors in panic. 

“What’s wrong? Did he try to attack you? Do I need to fight him?” 

“What?” the girl laughed breathlessly as she shook her head at him in amusement, “No! I just gave Derek a hug that’s all.” 

“You _what?_ ” he cried out incredulously as she jumped into her car. 

“I gave him a hug. It’s not the first time I’ve done it,” she snorted, turning on the radio as _Good Feeling_ by Flo Rida started playing out while she pulled out of the car park and down the street. 

“Do you have a death wish? First jumping in front of me during a fight and now hugging Derek?!” 

“Those are on two **very** different ends of the death spectrum, Scotty,” Vanessa grinned at him as she headed towards town. 

“Yeah, hugging Derek being at the bad end!” her best friend exclaimed before realizing they weren’t heading to his house and turning to her warily, “Where are we going?” 

“We’re gonna go see a man about a dog.” 

After five minutes of Scott freaking out, trying to figure out what she meant – _it was a movie reference, you uncultured swine but I should have expected this from someone who hasn’t watched Star Wars_ – the girl pulled up outside the animal clinic before hopping out and heading in, leaving her best friend frowning in the car. 

She opened up the gate and walked into the back room while calling out, “Doc, I got a bone to pick with you – “ 

Before she noticed the dead body on the table and proceeded to scream her head off.


	10. Canine Counterpart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanessa O'Connor finally get's to put to use the hobby she dedicated three years of her life to - you know, instead of going out with friends like normal kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you to the feedback and praise, guys! I'm truly appreciate it and i'm glad that you're enjoying the fic so far. As pointed out, I left last chapter on a cliffhanger and this one takes off straight after so everything is revealed x
> 
> Hope you enjoy x

The front doors burst open as her best friend bounded in the room to see what was wrong before stopping short at the ravaged corpse, eyes widening in shock as his jaw worked to produce sounds that varied from the ear splitting screams the girl beside him was making. 

“I think maybe we better have that talk now,” Doctor Deaton sighed from where he was leaning against the corner of the room, wiping his hands on a cloth as he turned to the girl, “Miss O’Connor, please.” 

Vanessa slapped a hand over her mouth, breathing in deep as she tried to stop her heart from going into cardiac arrest. When she thought she wasn’t about to pass out, she tore her eyes from the body and focused them on the roof as she snarked, “Apologies, Doc, I’m just trying to get over the fact there’s a bloody _**dead body**_ sitting in the middle of the room!” 

“Look, they’re coming back so we don’t have much time to talk,” the man replied, hurrying around the room. 

“Who?” she asked, eyes darting towards the body on the table, “What happened to him?” 

“Was it an _animal_ that did this?” Scott questioned as he stepped towards the body. 

“You mean, did one of you did this?” Deaton corrected before leading them out to the back area, “The answer to your question is no. I don’t know what did this but the Argents will. And this is the crucial part. They’ll have some kind of record, or book. It’ll have descriptions, histories, notations of all the things they’ve discovered.” 

“ _All_ the things?” the boy next to her stammered, “How many different things are there?” 

“Bitch, you thought there was only werewolves and humans? God, even I know there’s a shit ton more out there,” Vanessa muttered, earning a glare from the boy before the sound of tires screeching against gravel caught their attention. Deaton’s eyes widened in urgency, waving them into the storeroom. 

Scott caught the man’s arm before he could shut them in, desperation in his voice as he asked, “How do you know about me?” 

“I just do…. your kind I can help. His kind,” the doctor glanced back at the room they vacated, eyes on the dead man in the middle, “I can’t. But you can.” 

The man turned to them as the bell at the front of the clinic rang to signal someone had entered, signaling for them to stay quiet before shutting them inside. Vanessa felt her stomach drop as she was surrounded by pitch black, starting to freak out before Scott’s hand found hers in the dark and started rubbing soothing circles in it as they waited. She felt him move behind her, closer to the door and knew he would be listening in on the conversation. 

They were in there for about half an hour, maybe more before Scott leaned down to tell her they had gone. The two teenagers gingerly exited the storeroom to where Deaton was sanitizing his hands, the man turning to Scott with a grave expression on his face as he asked, “You heard?” 

“Paralytic toxin?” the boy questioned as he approached the doctor, “What could possibly do that?” 

“Hold on,” Vanessa held a hand up, pointing to herself as she said, “Me. Human with normal hearing. You. Werewolf with supernatural hearing. Catch me up, Scotty.” 

“Sorry,” her best friend apologized sheepishly as Deaton explained. 

“Come over here,” he beckoned to her, waiting until the girl was beside where he stood at the head of the body before turning it to expose the man’s neck, “See this cut? Whatever did this imbued this wound with a paralytic toxin that rendered him numb. Unable to fight back or even flee before he was finished off with these.” 

He gestured to the deep, claw marks that extended from the man’s stomach to his chest, Vanessa following the trail and unable to keep the bile down as she stumbled over to the waste bin on the side and emptied her lunch in it. She felt a hand rub circles into her back as the doctor murmured apologetically, “I apologize. I shouldn’t have shown you this.” 

“It’s fine,” she insisted, spitting out the last of her stomach's contents out before wiping her mouth with the paper towel handed to her, “Paralytic toxin, huh?” 

“Yes,” Deaton confirmed before turning to Scott, “That book I told you about. You need to get it and find a creature that’s known to render its prey useless by paralytic toxins. That’s the only way you can stop it from killing again because it **will** kill again.” 

“I’ll get it,” the boy nodded as they headed out, “I promise.” 

“Good,” the doctor said as they opened the front door before calling out, “And Scott?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Be careful.” 

Scott nodded as the two walked to the carpark. They hopped into the car, Vanessa opening up the glove box to pull out a piece of gum from her stash before starting up the car and pulling out. 

“Do you mind dropping me off down the road from Allison’s?” the boy next to her asked after a few minutes of silence. 

The girl raised a brow as she drawled out, “Do you really think that’s smart? Gerard and Argent are going to be home any moment now and you can’t be doing backflips and shit on their front lawn when they’re clearly out for blood.” 

“I’m just gonna leave a message,” Scott reassured her. 

“Look, sweetie, I love Allison. She’s a beautiful badass that deserves the world but you’re my best friend and I’m not gonna let you two sneak around if it’s going to end with you cut in half and hanging from a tree.” 

“It’s not,” he insisted firmly, sighing heavily as he turned to the window, “I’ll be careful.” 

“Fine. But make sure to tell her to keep a look out for that book. And let’s hope that the hunters turn their attention from their genocide mission to whatever this thing is so that we can all get a break from them breathing down out necks,” she prayed as she headed to the other side of town where the said hunters lived. 

\- 

It was just after nine, almost three hours after she dropped off Scott and headed home to do research based on _one fucking clue_ to try to figure out what this creature was, when her phone beeped to tell her she had a message. 

**SCOTT: _Meet me at the front. Stiles’ needs us._**

Vanessa felt her heartbeat faster as she headed out the door, finding Melissa McCall’s car parked at the end of the driveway with her best friend sitting in the drivers seat, a serious look on his face as he opened the door for her to get in. 

“Hey, is Stiles okay?” she asked worriedly as Scott started the car and sped down the street. 

“He’s okay. The creature attacked again.” 

“Attacked Stiles?!” 

“No. The mechanic who was working on his jeep. Apparently, your friend Erica took out a piece of his engine and knocked him out with it?” 

“ _Oh god_ ,” the girl groaned into her hands, “Look, she’s not normally like that – “ 

“I hate to say I told you so – “ 

“No, you fucking wouldn’t,” Vanessa glared at him for trying to bullshit her before waving him off, “And, besides that little act of violence, I love her newfound attitude. Would you believe me if I told you that Erica has had a crush on Stiles for, like, forever and has never had the confidence to even talk to him? Look at her now!” 

“Yes, because knocking someone out is the best way to admit your feelings.” 

“I’m sorry that not everyone is romantic and declares their love in the middle of a high school formal.” 

“You were listening?!” he screeched. 

“Of course, I fucking was,” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up as she turned to him, “My best friend says I love you to a girl for the first time in his life and you thought I wouldn’t be listening? God, do you know me at all!? You can calm down though, I got distracted afterwards to continue eavesdropping.” 

“Distracted? Doing what?” 

“Making out with my date.” 

Scott scrunched up his face before realizing who she was talking about and groaned, “How did _that_ even happen anyway?” 

“Well, Scott, when two teenagers like each other and the sexual tension starts building – “ 

“Ew, no. I meant, how did you guys meet?" 

Vanessa threw her head back laughing, “Oh! That’s a long story – “ 

She cut off as blue and red lights flashed beside _Armor Tire_ where the EMTs were wheeling out a body that had already started bleeding through the white sheet that covered it. Scott pulled up at the front, turning to watch as Stiles got down from the ambulance where he had been sitting with his father and headed towards them with his hands in his pocket and his head down. 

The girl in the car felt her smile disappear as she scrambled to climb into the back seat so their friend could sit in the front, leaning back as Stiles closed the door behind him and leaving them in a solemn silence for a moment before Scott asked, “You okay?” 

Stiles nodded, looking anything but okay, as he dug around in his pocket and said, “You’re right. It’s not like you. I mean it’s eyes were almost, like, reptilian. But there was something about ‘em.” 

He trailed off as Scott turned to him frowning, “What do you mean?” 

“You know when you see, like, a friend in a Halloween mask, but all you can actually see are their eyes, and you feel like you know them, but you can’t figure out who it is?” 

“Are you saying you know who it is?” the werewolf question incredulously. 

“No,” Stiles shook his head, turning to look at them both as he said, “But I think it knew me.” 

Vanessa shuddered at the fear wavering her best friend’s voice and leaned forward to clasp his shoulder, “If that’s true, do you think it’s possible that this thing could be a person we know?” 

“I told you – “ 

“You know that feeling you described? About recognizing someone that you know by looking into their eyes?” she pointed out, “Eyes are the windows to someone’s soul. I think Stiles knows this someone. I think we all do.” 

“How do we find out who then?” 

“We need to get that goddamn book.” 

\- 

Whoever thought she was going home after that was an idiot. Instead Vanessa 'sneaks out late every chance she gets' O’Connor went from the back of one person’s car to driving her own to the warehouse district after sending Lisa a text that she was staying over at Erica’s house. Fifteen minutes later, with Burger King in one hand and a bobby pin in the other, she snuck into the abandoned building through the car park and picked the padlock on the gate that stood between her and a good time. 

Sliding it open slowly and praying to whoever was up there that the werewolves were busy doing something other than listening out for people breaking in, she tip toed her way down the stairwell, coming to sit behind Boyd and whisper, “So, what are we all looking at?” 

“Watch and find out,” he murmured back, his eyes trained on someone at the other end of the hall. 

She turned and gaped as Isaac – in what looked like a brand new red button down that did wonders to accent his muscular chest and shoulders – made a run at Derek, jumping over several obstacles that had been pulled out in the middle of the room before making a jump at the pillar next to the Alpha’s head. As expected, the man was able to grab out at the boy and throw him onto the ground with a loud thud. 

Vanessa winced in sympathy as her boyfriend groaned before getting up and starting again. She could see the pattern and so could Derek, who watched as the boy repeated the same moves continuously. She wondered why Isaac would be so predictable when Erica appeared on top of one of the subway carts, jumping on Derek’s back as he was throwing the taller boy to the ground. The blonde girl didn’t have a steady hold on him though and was thrown off just as easily, landing next to Isaac on the ground as Derek shook his head in disappointment. 

“Does anyone wanna try _not_ being completely predictable?” the Alpha drawled out as he paced above them. 

“How about you guys take a break before you continue?” the brunette on the staircase asked, her two friends on the floor whipping up their heads to look at her with joy and gratitude while Derek sighed behind them. 

“How did you get in?” 

The girl pulled out her bobby pin and waved it around, “I’m Nancy Drew, sweets.” 

“Oh, thank God,” Erica threw back her blonde hair as she got to her feet, taking the bags from her friend’s hands and heading to the kitchen table. 

Vanessa let her, eyes fixed on the boy still on the ground and holding his ribs while he panted. She walked down the steps and over to him, crouching down as she placed a hand on his shoulder and another on the hem of his shirt to lift it up. There was a cloud of purple and blue bruises that were starting to fade on his abdomen, causing her to glare up at the Alpha who towered over them. 

“That,” she growled out, getting to her feet to stare daggers at him, “Was not teaching. That was intimidation.” 

“What do you suggest I do? Hunters will not go easy on them.” 

“I’m not saying you should go easy,” she shook her head at him, sighing as explained, “You need to teach them techniques that they need to use before sending them to do exercises like that.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, you don’t play a game you’ve never played before without knowing the rules, do you?” Vanessa prompted, smiling knowingly when she didn’t get a reply, “No, of course not. You teach someone the rules, give them some tips, help them through warm up before sending them into the game. That was like sending someone to do warmups for a game they don’t even know they’re playing.” 

Vanessa turned back to help her boyfriend up from the ground, checking under his shirt to see the bruising had healed before turning back to Derek with a smile, “Dinner first. Kick ass later.” 

“I feel like I need a few hours to heal the one hundred broken bones in my body,” Isaac mumbled from beside her as they all sat down at the table, Vanessa standing to sort out their food before stopping. 

Since Boyd was now part of the pack, there was one less chair for her. Not that she minded personally, for this gave her leave to find her own seat. And she knew just where to start. 

“You can take mine if you – “ Boyd had stood up to offer before she shook her head, smiling kindly. 

“Thanks, but I’ve already got one,” Vanessa declared as she walked to Isaac’s side of the table and sat down in his lap, throwing her legs over the side of the chair and grabbing her drink as she smirked up at her boyfriend. 

Isaac gaped down at her, eyes blinking in bewilderment as she took a sip of her raspberry soda before offering it to him, “Want some, handsome?” 

As her boyfriend’s arms settled around to support her, she heard Derek mutter from the other side of the table, “I will ban you for life, Ness, I swear to God!” 

“What? There weren’t any seats,” she exclaimed, waving her hand around, “I wasn’t gonna make Boyd give up his. He’s pack!” 

“If you guys start making out – “ 

“Why would I make out when I can eat Burger King instead?” the brunette frowned, snatching up her chicken burger from the table and unwrapping it, leaning back into Isaac’s side. 

Her boyfriend reached around her for his own fries, murmuring quietly, “I don’t know whether to be insulted or whether to agree with you.” 

“Agree with me, baby,” Vanessa whispered back, smiling sweetly at him, “It’s best if you just agree with me.” 

“Noted,” Isaac smirked back, throwing a couple of fries in his mouth as she turned to the rest of the table. 

“Anyway, I didn’t just come here to feed you and give you a break from the gruelling work out,” she began, turning serious as she looked at Derek, “Hunters are the least of our concerns. I have information about the creature Isaac saw.” 

She felt Isaac’s hand tighten its grip on her thigh as Derek frowned at her, face grave as he said, “It isn’t a werewolf, is it?” 

“Unless you guys have reptilian eyes, a tail and the ability to paralyze someone before ripping them to shreds than no. It doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon either. It killed a hunter on Wednesday night and killed a mechanic tonight at the _Armor Tire_. Me and Scott just picked up Stiles from there - who apparently was getting his jeep fixed after _someone_ took out a very important part and knocked him unconscious with it.” 

The brunette glanced over at the sheepish blonde to her left, Erica wincing at her description before she claimed, “It was just a love tap. He woke up, didn’t he?” 

“Girl, you have super strength. You could have broken his face!” 

“Okay, so maybe I took it a bit too far - ” 

“Really?” Vanessa drawled sarcastically, arching a brow at the girl who shrugged. 

Derek leaned over to whisper to the blonde, “I think you took the appropriate measures and got the job done.” 

“Thank you,” Erica beamed back at her Alpha before turning back to wolf down her meal. 

Vanessa rolled her eyes at the pair before moving on, “Look, never mind. Stiles said the creature saw him but didn’t kill him. Which means that it could be like Peter, killing specific people for a vendetta or revenge.” 

“It sounds familiar. I’ll have to check the books back at the house,” Derek thought out loud, before asking, “Is there anything else you were able to find out?” 

“Two things,” she held up two fingers as began to list them, “One, the Argents apparently have some kind of book, a set of records of every supernatural creature they’ve ever encountered that might have information about the creature. Scott's going to ask Allison to keep a look out for it and if she can find it, she’ll send us copies. Two, Stiles said something that I think we should take seriously.” 

Derek arched a brow, as if she was asking him to do something that was beyond his mental capacity, before sighing, “What exactly?” 

“He said that when the creature looked into his eyes, he got the sense that he knew them. Or that the creature knew him,” she frowned, considering it in her head before continuing, “Either way, I think he might be onto something. What happens if the creature is someone we know?” 

The dark-haired man across from her shook his head, “Impossible. If this creature knew you guys, Scott would be able to sense them.” 

“A werewolf, maybe,” the brunette admitted before pointing out, “But what happens if he doesn’t know what he’s sensing? What if what he thinks is a werewolf is actually the creature? He hasn’t fully learnt to control his senses yet so he might not be able to tell the difference between a werewolf and another creature.” 

“Then he needs to learn. Quickly,” Derek grunted, dark eyes glancing around the table before announcing, “So do all of you.” 

The man got up from his chair, gesturing for the rest of them to follow. Vanessa sighed before getting off of Isaac’s lap, his hand slipping into hers as he got up to follow her to where Derek stood in the middle of the room. The man turned to her and waved his hand, “Since you’re the one with the great ideas, how about you take over?” 

“Fine,” Vanessa shrugged, stepping up with her arms crossed over her chest as she stepped up next to Derek, turning towards her friends and explaining, “Before I ever knew about werewolves, I used to study wolves. Being that they are your counterpart, I can only assume that hunting – the closest activity to aggression the animals have – is the activity you should observe if you want to see how they take down prey.” 

The girl had to admit, she was nervous. Like she told Derek the first night they met, she was bluffing out of her ass and just hoping nobody called it. It wasn’t that she was lying. It was just that everything she was about to say was based on a hobby she had spent three years on that probably had very little to do with _actual_ werewolves. So when she saw Derek nod slightly from the corner of her eye, she grew confident, standing up straighter and continuing on. 

“The most important thing in a hunt is cooperation. One wolf alone is weaker than a mountain lion but a wolf in a pack can take down animals twice it’s size. Using coordinated attacks focusing on four aspects; weaknesses, distractions, strategy and opportunity. The Alpha of a pack is the leader and while he might choose the prey, he does not call the shots. Wolves work co-dependently on each other, using their individual strengths to help the pack as a whole.” 

Vanessa beckoned over Erica, spinning the girl around to face Derek as she informed the two boys, “Females, with their lighter builds, are more likely to have sharper and faster reflexes and agility that would be used to distract and herd the prey towards the primary hunters. Now, you would think that Erica would fit that role, wouldn’t you? But you’ve also seen her specializing in ambushing by jumping from high places. She can incorporate that by having her continuously jump around to dodge attacks.” 

She turned to her friend, two hands on her shoulder as she whispered in her ear, “Now, Derek’s going to try to attack you. Don’t attack back but rather try to dodge him by using his limbs to jump over and around him. Or you can remember what we learnt from Sarah when she tried to teach us defense that one time. Actually, do both. I wanna see if it looks as cool as I imagined.” 

The brunette nodded to Derek, who without warning, shot out a fist at Erica’s face. The blonde jumped back instinctively before another fist came swinging into her side. Vanessa watched as her friend bent over gasping, eyes alight with gold as anger and pain rushed through her veins. The Alpha began to approach to take her down, hands going to the girl’s shoulders. He lifted her up to throw her back when Erica recovered, swinging her legs and hooking them around his neck as she fell backwards, flipping and sending the Alpha over her. It didn’t quiet work because Derek landed in a crouch, kicking out Erica’s legs when she got back up on her feet. 

The girl landed on her back; the air knocked out of her as Derek wandered around to give her a hand up. As his hands slid into the blonde’s, Erica’s claws slid out and dug deep into the Alpha’s wrist, pulling him down and rolling on top of him with one heel on his leg and her knee near his crotch, the warning clear to everyone in the room. Vanessa grinned in amusement as the two boys next to her winced in sympathy for the man on the floor. Although, they soon found that Erica underestimated Derek’s upper arm strength as he threw her off and into the pillar behind her. 

The brunette stopped to show that it was over, the Alpha getting to his feet giving a look of approval at Erica before reminding her, “Never underestimate your enemy. Although most of my limbs were pinned down, you didn’t pin them all down because you assumed that I wouldn’t have the strength to throw you off. You didn’t take into consideration that I am an Alpha, meaning I have an advantage. A hunter with a knife in their pocket or an extra handgun is similar to me in that aspect so if you were to pin them down, they could gut you or shoot you point blank.” 

Vanessa raised an eyebrow at his slightly arrogant tone when he was talking about his Alpha prowess but didn’t question it because at the end of the day he was right. That didn’t mean that Erica didn’t do a fucking great job though for her first try against him. The brunette walked over to her friend who was brushing herself off, holding up her hand for a high five. Erica beamed, slapping her palm before walking over to the other Betas. Derek called up Boyd next who shuffled over to them with wide eyes as she studied the boy. 

“During a hunt, there are three places that wolves tend to go for. While chasing their prey, they will tend to hinder the animal by clawing at their legs to get them to stumble or fall. Then after that they will go for the throat from the side, the most vulnerable place on both animals and humans. But some wolves, will seize the prey by the snout, bringing it down and suffocating them,” she explained, remembering an article about the different ways wolves hunt. 

“This is usually done by the wolf with the most muscle, a stronger, sturdier build. Usually, I would suggest that brute strength was not the way to win a fight but Boyd here, has the intelligence to back it up,” she grinned up at the boy before telling him, “I saw you; you know. Studying them while they went up against Derek. The way they moved, their attacks, they defense, weaknesses, blind spots. You just need to analyze all of those to form a strong attack against all those weaknesses. You can take hits; I know you can. Just keep focusing on that vulnerability and you will wear him down.” 

Vanessa turned back to the other two to explain, “Wolves are also animals of endurance, built to chase their prey for miles if they have to. They are patient creatures who will bide their time and they are creatures of focus who will experience the keenest sense of tunnel vision if they are closing in on their prey.” 

The girl backed up to stand beside her friends as the two males faced off, Isaac leaning down to ask, “Please tell me you didn’t get all of this from learning about wolves.” 

“Her mom is cop,” Erica told him, quirking a brow as she said, “Who do you think taught her defense since she could walk?” 

“Since you could walk?” he repeated, looking down at the brunette in shock. 

Vanessa shook her head, lips quirking as she glanced up at him, “Only on the basics. Scream, duck, cover, run. It was when I turned thirteen she taught me the hard stuff.” 

“The hard stuff?" he gulped, looking over at the blonde on the other side of his girlfriend. 

“It’s Lisa you have to worry about,” she whispered as she leaned behind the girl in the middle, “The woman was a life coach and also has defense training. Which means she'll tell you to never give up on your goals while simultaneously knocking a man unconscious using only her elbows.” 

“And you know how to do that?” Isaac all but whimpered at Vanessa, who was watching as Derek started off fast, presumably using speed against strength during this fight. 

“Some of it. Haven’t quite figured out the never giving up bit yet,” she told him, smiling faintly when he ran his hand through his hair. 

“Right, okay.” 

Vanessa turned to focus back on the fight in front of her, Boyd interestingly blocking every jap and attack Derek threw at him before he charged the man, picking him up at the waist and digging his claws into the back of his knees as he threw his Alpha over his shoulder. Derek flipped in the air, using the momentum to land in a crouch like he did with Erica before he flew right back in, shooting his palm up to hit the boy’s chin, sending him flying back onto the floor. She frowned as the man charged over, pressing a foot against Boyd’s neck as he waited for his Beta’s submission. 

The girl walked over as Derek backed off, letting the boy back up as Vanessa asked him, “Those blocks you did at the start were pretty impressive. I think that you shouldn’t listen to me. Go with your own instincts because you were holding your own until you fell back on my advice. Try again.” 

The next fight started with Derek lunging at him, trying to get his hands around Boyd’s waist to throw but was dodged and held back by the boy as he matched every attack with a counter, only failing when he wasn’t focused on his legs as Derek moved behind him to kick them out. The boy fell to his knees, the man behind him stepped on one leg and moved his hands into a headlock position. 

Derek stepped back after the point had been made, turning back to the others, “Enemies will come from all sides. Never focus your attention on just one form attack. If they see an opening they can take, they will take it. So, we must also rely on our senses. Scent, sight and hearing our primary senses during fights and you must learn to use them all if you want to survive hunters.” 

His eyes landed on Isaac, the boy grimacing before walking over reluctantly to stand in front of Derek. Vanessa softened slightly when she saw his hands twitch nervously at his sides but had to remind herself that he had to learn this. Failing and, to some extent, pain taught people lessons almost as well as winning and success did. If more so. She came over to stand in front of the two werewolves, prepared to start when the Alpha took over. 

_He must feel bad for throwing Isaac too many times during their first try at training._

_Either that or he doesn’t trust me not to get distracted and end up making out with my boyfriend for the rest of the lesson._

“Your senses are your most valuable allies besides your pack mates because they are the only weapons you will have if you are caught alone,” he began, gesturing to Isaac’s ear as he said, “For example, we’ll start with hearing. Now, hearing isn’t just listening for verbal cues. It’s also listening for physical ones. Physical cues are in two categories, people and environment. A person’s cues are the way breathe, their heartbeat, the sound of their limbs moving. They are important to take into consideration when fighting someone.” 

Derek moved back, telling Isaac to close his eyes and focus on different sounds. While the other Betas followed suit on the exercise, Vanessa watched suspiciously as Derek got into a fighting stance while asking Isaac what he could hear. 

“Um, uh, five heartbeats, steady breath – oh wait – “ 

Vanessa flinched back as Derek’s fist smashed into his stomach, Isaac keeling over with a grunt of pain as the Alpha crouched down to look at him with a smile, “What you heard was a slight hitch in my breathe. That’s common for someone about to attack. That goes for heart beats too. In order to properly get your limbs moving for strenuous actions such as fighting, your heart pumps more blood in order to trigger the adrenaline in your veins.” 

He straightened up before punching the air a few times, “That is the sound of a fist coming your way. Learn that and let your instincts drive you away from it.” 

Derek turned to the rest of the Betas to explain, “Even before Isaac was turned, he had strong self-preservation instincts from his past history. This means that if hunters were to go after him, he would probably be the only one of you who would stand a chance this early on. Because his first instincts wouldn’t be to stop and fight. They would be to run and hide. Sometimes that isn’t possible but if it is, don’t stop until you know you’re safe and don’t move until you know they’re gone.” 

The brunette rubbed circles into her boyfriend’s shoulders as he recovered, eyes glittering gold in determination as he growled out, “Let me do it again.” 

His Alpha turned to him with a smirk, gesturing to the two other teenager’s with a hand as he said, “Erica, Boyd, go spar over in the corner.” 

“Are you sure you wanna do this?” Vanessa murmured in Isaac’s ear, the boy rolling his shoulders as he nodded back to her. 

The girl walked over to the stairs, taking a seat and watching the two males as they circled each other. Isaac tilted his head slightly in a distinctly way that let her know he was trying to listen out for any sudden changes. Derek used this half-focus to send three attacks in a row, one at the head - which Isaac dodged by an inch, one to the stomach – which Isaac took with a growl and the last to the head again which Isaac blocked, clawed hands shoving back Derek as the boy straightened up. 

Derek lunged again, Isaac this time dodging around him perform a kick off the wall to send a punch into the back of the man’s head, sending him onto his knees. The boy with went to immediately grab at him but missed as Derek ducked and rolled off to the side. The Alpha crouched low before lunging again, fingers fisting in the boy’s shirt as he threw him against the subway cart. Instead of hitting it unceremoniously, Isaac instead kicked out and used the impact to backflip off of the side, turning in time to recieve a punch in the jaw. 

Vanessa watched as her boyfriend staggered back, wiping at his mouth as his Alpha sent attack after attack at him, the boy only managing to block maybe twice in the row before Derek found another opening that had him roaring in pain. 

_I can’t watch him like that. I can’t watch him in pain._

“Stop, you’ve made your point!” she shouted as she rushed forward, stopping a bit away as Derek turned his red eyes on her, snarling in warning. 

Immediately, Isaac kicked him back, the Alpha jerking away as to avoid the full impact while the boy settled into a crouch in front of her, lips curled back to reveal glistening white fangs as he roared. Vanessa gaped at him, wondering what the hell he was doing when Derek stood up, eyes flickering back to normal as he considered his Beta with interest. 

“We’re done for the day,” he announced, jerking his head at the shower in the corner, “You can fight for seconds, but I’m taking a shower first.” 

They watched in silence at Derek jumped up to the ceiling space to get his stuff, leaving them there to gap at him in confusion. Vanessa turned Boyd and Erica with a smile, “You guys can go first if you like?” 

The two nodded back at her before smiling at each other as they played scissors, paper, rock. The brunette looked down to where her boyfriend was still crouched, breathing heavily out of his nose as he tried to shift back. Vanessa laid a hand gingerly on his back, rubbing at it gently. As the tension seeped out of him, she moved her hand up to the nape of his neck and into his curls, stroking his hair as the ridges of his brows and nose smoothed back to his human face. 

“You okay, baby?” she whispered, kneeling down beside him as he opened his blue eyes up to stare at her in confusion. 

“Yeah, sorry,” he apologized, allowing her to help him to his feet as he scratched his head, “I don’t really know what happened back there.” 

“That’s okay,” the brunette smiled proudly up at him, “You held your own pretty well.” 

“He literally beat me to a bloody pulp,” Isaac pointed out. 

Vanessa cringed, waving it off, “Okay, so maybe you did get your ass handed to you. But that’s life. We learn from our mistakes so that we might succeed.” 

“God, Lisa really was a life coach wasn’t she?” 

“Two years after she left college.” 

“Any other advice you’d like to give me?” 

“Maybe try body checking him? It always works out well for you in lacrosse,” she suggested with a faint smile. 

“We’ll see,” Isaac replied, unconvinced it would actually work. So was she, for that matter but you never knew until you tried. 

Vanessa slipped her fingers into his, her lashes lowered as her fingertips danced across his palm in a silent journey to a destination she wasn’t sure of yet. The destination didn’t mean anything, just the touch itself. She missed him, missed him more than the jokes, the kisses and the words could ever put together. She wanted him back with her, to see him walking down the halls of school and to have him back in her bedroom without fear her mom was going to arrest him. Not even to fool around, just to study or watch a movie or to even fall asleep in his arms. 

He must have felt the same, gazing down at her softly as he turned their hands over and held hers gently within his own, using them to pull her towards him. 

“Why is it that I can only breathe when I’m around you?” he murmured to her as he let their hands go to trail down to her lower back, settling his chin on her forehead and inhaling her sweet scent. 

The girl closed her eyes, fisting his shirt at his chest as she sighed, “I don’t know why but the feeling is mutual.” 

They stood like that, wrapped in each other’s warmth as they breathed one another in. They had only known each other for a little over a month and yet they couldn’t explain why they felt so entwined with each other. Like the only source of comfort for one another was within each other’s arms. It both scared her and thrilled her, feeling like that for someone whereas for Isaac, he had never felt so alive. 

“You know,” the brunette whispered softly, heart beating fast at the intimacy they shared, “Just because I miss you, it doesn’t mean I’m gonna let you have first dibs on the shower.” 

The tall boy chuckled into her hair before replying, “You’re on.” 

The two jerked back, hands curled in fist as they played a round of scissors, paper, rock. Vanessa only won because she whispered scissors, before she put down a rock to confuse him but denied it when he called her a cheater. 

“How the _hell_ do you cheat in scissors, paper, rock?” she called back to him when she went to get her clothes, fluttering her eyelashes innocently. 

“I don’t know but you did it.” 

“Evidence, baby, evidence.” 

Vanessa was still smirking victoriously when she came out of the shower, when she slipped into Isaac’s cot to wait for him, curling up in the blankets and inhaling his pillow with a smile before closing her eyes. About ten minutes, she heard footsteps approach the cot and a warm body slide in behind her. Strong arms came around her, pulling her against a hard chest as lips attached themselves to her neck. 

In a silvery voice, her boyfriend whispered with a kiss, “Goodnight, beautiful.” 

The girl’s lips quirked up in a lazy smile as she turned in his arms, in the middle of whispering goodnight back when her hands landed on bare skin. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of the boy’s bare chest, broad and muscled. And bare, tempting skin that was still running hot from the shower he took. Vanessa jerked up, mouth dropping open as Isaac laid back with a small smirk of his own, asking in an innocent drawl, “Something wrong?” 

Counting to ten silently in her head as she resisted the urge to lick her lips, she nodded her head nervously before stammering out, “Night.” 

Turning over, she tried to breathe in from her nose and out from her mouth so that she didn’t end up hyperventilating. Why. Why did this have to happen? Why torture her like this? She cheated in one itty bitty game of scissors, paper, rock for a fucking shower and so that means she gets to suffer for the rest of the night while a hot, half naked guy sleeps beside her?! She can’t even do anything about it because there’s three other people in the place with supernatural hearing! 

_Nice, real fucking nice._

She left him settle himself behind her and ask in concern, “Are you okay? Did I go too far?” 

The girl was about to wave him off and claim that she was just tired when Erica’s voice carried over from the side of the room, amusement coloring her tone as she called out, “Oh, you’re good. You just made her all hot and bothered.” 

Vanessa gasped, lunging up from the cot to stare across the space at her friend in betrayal, “Erica?! What the fuck?!” 

“Oh okay,” Isaac stammered from beside her, smiling crookedly as he shot the blonde a thumbs up as he said, “Thanks for the heads up!” 

“No problem!” 

The brunette shook her head at them both, falling back with a heavy sigh as she faced the fact she would be getting a more than restless sleep that night, muttering to herself as she settled her back gingerly against her boyfriend's bare - _Oh my fucking God_ \- chest, “Wrong. _Big_ problem.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a kudos and a comment if you enjoyed this chapter x As always, feedback and suggestions are welcome!


	11. Communication Fustration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang brainstorm how to get the Bestiary and there's some serious communications that they all have to work on - like, guys, we can't be covert if we can't be organized!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- There are some spelling errors and basic punctuation mistakes but I just came home from work and my brain is tired, so you'll have to excuse me if I can't be bothered to fix it up after posting it.   
> \- If the title sounds familiar, it's supposed to - it's a play on the lyrics by the Police from their song ' _Don't Stand So Close To Me_ '. I wonder what that means *mwah ha ha*  
> \- As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

The next morning, Erica and Vanessa were walking down the halls after second period when they stumbled across Scott and Stiles sitting on the bottom steps adjacent to the cafeteria, the two boys facing each other with an intensity that made the two girls stop in their tracks. 

“I’m so sorry about the other day. I’m trying. We’ll get through this,” Stiles said to the other boy, brows furrowing as if he was trying to find the right words to say, “I know because I love you.” 

Scott nodded, smiling slightly with warm brown eyes gazing at his best friend. 

Vanessa’s eyes, on the other hand, were bulging out of her sockets in shock. 

_Did my best friend just come out of the closet and confess his love for our other best friend?_

“I love you more than – “ 

“ **WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?!** ” the brunette shrieked, throwing her arms up frantically while Erica threw her head back laughing, the two boys scrambling back startled, unaware they had an audience. 

“ _Jesus Christ_ ,” Stiles breathed out, hand clutching his shirt as he rolled his eyes at her, “How long have you been standing there for?” 

“Long enough to be concerned,” she quipped back, frowning as she glared at him accusingly, “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me? I thought we were best friends!” 

“Tell you _what?!_ ” the boy with the buzz cut exclaimed, head whipping back and forth in confusion. 

Erica helped him out, leaning down with her hand on Vanessa’s shoulder for support as she wheezed out, “She thinks you're in love with Scott and she's upset because you didn’t tell her you were gay.” 

Stiles scrunched up his face in incredulity, stammering out, “I-I’m not gay! Scott and Allison are using _me_ to communicate with each other.” 

“Oh my God!” Vanessa sighed out, laughing breathlessly as she put a hand over her heart, “I thought I had missed your big coming out moment! You'd tell me if you were gonna have one of those, right?” 

“Not if you’re gonna squeal to the whole school about it!” 

“I wouldn’t _squeal_ to the – “ 

“You just did!” 

“It's a false alarm everyone!” Vanessa declared loudly to the rest of the hall, earning weird looks from passbyers. 

The boy on the ground ignored her, rubbing his temple as he turned back to Scott with a pleading look, “You and Allison have to find a better way to communicate.” 

“Come on,” Scott prompted, having patiently waited through the interruption but was now at the end of his wits, “You’re one of the only people we can trust! Is she coming to the game tonight?” 

Vanessa was a bit miffed that she wasn't considered trustworthy enough for the task but seeing Stiles' reluctance, she might have to count herself lucky she wasn't asked first. 

“Yes, okay. Message complete,” Stiles glanced both ways, relieved to have the awkward exchange done with as he nudged the other boy in the side, “Alright, now tell me about your boss.” 

Scott was about to respond when he caught Erica leaning against the pillar with interest. He shot Vanessa a look, inclining his head to the blonde. She frowned back at him before realizing what he was getting at and rolling her eyes at his paranoia. 

“Yeah, so the whole pack knows about what went down already,” Vanessa admitted, shrugging at his betrayed look before explaining, “Look, Derek also has some records back at his house. He said that if you wouldn’t be able to get the book, he’d look through them and tell you what he’d find.” 

“I don’t trust them,” Scott said through gritted teeth, staring daggers at the blonde. 

“I’m with him on this one, Ness,” Stiles nodded, pointing at Erica accusingly, “She not only wrecked my jeep but she also used a pretty important part to knock me unconscious!” 

The brunette sighed, glancing back at her friend and she said nodded her head in agreement, “They have a point. Maybe, an apology would go a long way?” 

Erica rolled her eyes, pushing off the wall with her heel and coming to stand beside the short brunette with her arms crossed over her shoulders. 

“I’m am so sorry that I hurt you, Stiles and I _regret_ ,” the blonde winced at the word as if it left a bitter taste in her mouth as she continued in a bored voice, “My actions. I am also sorry, Scott, for acting the way I did the day before. It was catty and bitchy, everything I used to hate about girls and I’m sorry that I acted like that towards you.” 

The girl turned to her friend with an arched eyebrow and a winning smile as she asked, “Am I done?” 

Vanessa considered it for a moment before nodding proudly, “I think that earned you a ham and pineapple pizza. I’m not buying the drink until you apologize to Allison, though, but the pizza - that can be arranged.” 

“ _Wow_ ,” Stiles drawled sarcastically from the ground as he stared at the two girls in amazement, “That was _such_ a genuine apology, I think I started tearing up. Scotty, got any tissues?” 

Scott shook his head, rolling his eyes at them all before turning back to the boy beside him to fill him in on what they had learnt at the clinic, “My boss thinks that Allison’s family keeps some kind of, uh, records of all the things they’ve hunted. Like a book.” 

The other boy clapped his hands loudly, smiling with wide brown eyes as he exclaimed, “He probably means a bestiary.” 

The brunette in front of them gasped, pointing at Stiles’ as a light bulb turned on in her head, hissing out, “ _Yes!_ I was trying to figure out what it was called but it kept slipping my mind.” 

“A what?” Scott frowned up at her, looking around at everyone in confusion. Erica shook her head at him that she was just as clueless as him. 

“A _bes-ti-ary_ ,” Stiles repeated slowly, as if that was the root of misunderstanding. 

Scott let out a laugh, cocking his head in amusement as he muttered, “I think you mean bestiality.” 

The blonde leaning on the pillar across from them snorted, while the boy with the buzz cut and the brunette shook their heads at them in disappointment. 

“Nope, I’m pretty sure I don’t. It’s like an encyclopedia of mythical creatures,” Stiles explained, nodding to himself as if he was pretty confident that’s what he meant. 

“There are tons on line from conspiracy theorist and demonologist,” Vanessa added, crossing her arms over her chest, “They have been created as far back as the ancient times but grew popular in the Middle Ages when people grew paranoid of the newfound magics called ‘ _science_ ’ and ‘ _healing_ ’.” 

The werewolf on the steps groaned in frustration, “How am I the only one that doesn’t seem to know anything about this stuff?!” 

Erica raised a hand from behind Vanessa, shrugging as she said, “If it makes you feel better, I had no clue about it either.” 

Stiles patted their best friend’s leg, “Okay, you know, you’re our best friend, you’re a creature of the night. It’s sort of a priority of ours.” 

Vanessa nodded in agreement, turning to smile kindly at the blonde behind her, “I’ll catch you up when we have time.” 

“Appreciated.” 

Scott sighed, pulling his knees up to rest his arms on them as he said, “If we can find it, it can tell us what this thing is – “ 

“And who,” Stiles added, sighing alongside him as they both said simultaneously. 

“We need that book.” 

Vanessa shrugged as if it was easy as pie, waving her hands at the halls in front of them as she suggested, “Well, somebody better go track down Allison considering she is the only one who can get into the place without coming out in a body bag.” 

“What about you?” 

“Victoria Argent is just _begging_ for an excuse to knock me on my ass. No way in hell am I going near that her or that _snake_ of an old man!” 

The bell for third period rang out as the teenagers all headed down the hall, Scott splitting up to head to the library while Stiles headed for the front of the school where Allison waited for a reply. He soon found that he was being tailed by Vanessa and Erica, stopping and spinning on them to arch an eyebrow questioningly. 

“Can I help you with something?” 

“We’re tagging along,” the brunette explained, brows furrowed as she gave him a strange look, “Is that okay?” 

His eyes darted nervously to the blonde behind her before replying, “I don’t exactly feel _comfortable_ with having mini shadows follow me around all day. Especially, when one of them is prone to dumping my unconscious body in a dumpster out of the blue.” 

Vanessa was about to roll up her sleeves about the ‘ _mini shadows_ ’ comment when Erica stepped forward, hands on her hips as she flipped back her curls to fix the boy with a serious look. 

“Stiles, I apologized for what I did. And I _am_ sorry,” she sighed, smiling at him softly before continuing, “I needed to make sure that you didn’t try to interfere and I admit, I took it too far. I guess I got caught up in the power and I didn’t stop to think about how it would affect others. How it would effect you. I took my hurt and anger out on you and you didn’t deserve it.” 

Vanessa watched with a smirk as the blonde drew closer to her best friend, his brown eyes flickering down to the hint of cleavage the red, low cut top exposed before swallowing hard, crushing defeat visible in light brown orbs. That was how the three of them all ended up standing in front of a very confused and wary dark-haired girl five minutes later, Stiles fighting to ignore the blonde bombshell in favor of giving Scott’s message to Allison. 

The girl, just like her boyfriend, giggle at the word used to describe the book, tilting her head at the boy in front of her as she corrected, “I think you mean – “ 

“No, I mean bestiary,” Stiles insisted, sighing heavily as he pointed to her, “And the two of you, I don’t want to know what’s going on in your heads!” 

“Don’t worry, I thought that’s what he meant to,” Erica chimed in, slouching slightly when all she got from the dark-haired girl was a pair of narrowed eyes and a quick nod. 

“Okay,” Allison looked down in concentration as she asked, “Um, can you describe this thing?” 

“Uh, it’s probably like a book. Old, worn – “ 

“Like, bound in leather?” the girl clarified, eyes lighting up in recognition. 

“Yeah, why? Does it sound familiar to you?” 

“My grandfather has one on him just like that.” 

Stiles pumped his fist through the air before thanking her and taking off back into the building, leaving the girls to stare after him in confusion. Vanessa shook her head at him before bending down to give her friend a hug in greeting, stepping back to drag Erica up beside her as she smiled diplomatically, “ **Someone** has something to say to you.” 

She nudged the blonde encouragingly, prompting the girl to turn back towards Allison with a reluctant sigh, “I’m sorry you had to witness the exchange between me and Scott in the hall yesterday. I genuinely did not mean anything by it, and had I known that you and him were still a thing, I would have gone about it differently.” 

Allison still looked skeptical, a brow raised at the apology. Erica softened slightly, a hint of the girl that used to smile shyly in their shared Art class. 

“The point is that I was pissed and upset because he didn’t want to listen to what I have to say, didn’t care about my reasons and was about to interfere in something he had no business interfering in. I shouldn’t have involved his feelings with you and I’m sorry. You were really nice to me when you first transferred here, and I shouldn’t have been a bitch.” 

Allison nodded slowly in understanding before stating, “I get it. I do, but I know that Scott was just trying to look out for all of you and make sure Derek wasn’t taking advantage of you guys.” 

“He isn’t,” Vanessa cut in, placing a hand on the dark-haired girl’s shoulder as she smiled, “I check in on them when I can, and I have never seen them happier. He’s bought them new clothes, made sure they have food to eat and is teaching them control. Trust me, if at any point I think they’re being mistreated – I would take him down myself.” 

“Yeah, like you took him down when he banned you from visiting for the weekend,” Erica snorted, smirking at the brunette now gaping at her in betrayal for calling her out. 

“What?” Allison asked, leaning frowned to look between the two girls with her eyebrows furrowed. 

“I would have gotten my way if I didn’t feel _sorry_ for what I said – “ 

The blonde turned to Allison with mischief in her eyes as she recounted, “Nessa and Isaac were making out and when Derek threatened to ban her for the PDA, she told him – “ 

“I told him he needed to get laid,” Vanessa finished, waving it off like it wasn’t a big deal. 

“And you’re still alive?!” Allison questioned, eyes wide and unbelieving. 

“He would not stop muttering about it all day! It was hilarious,” Erica laughed, leaning against her friend’s shoulder. 

“The **point** ,” the shorter girl began with a glare at the chuckling blonde next to her, “Is that Derek isn’t as much of an evil prick as he likes to make himself out to be. He genuinely cares about his pack, including me. He also cares about Scott. I think he's just pissed because Scott doesn’t want to listen to him.” 

“Like when Derek asked Scott to break up with me?” 

“Actually, he’s not doing that anymore,” Vanessa grinned, puffing her chest proudly as she gloated, “Because your good friend sat him down for a little chat about love and anchors and the ways of teenagers until I wore him down.” 

“Really?” Allison asked, arching a brow. 

“Yep. Feel free to thank me at any point of time.” 

The sound of running footsteps interrupted their conversation as Stiles stumbled up to the table, leaning heavily over it as he panted out to the dark-haired girl, “Where…..does he……. keep it?” 

“It has to be the office,” Allison replied, shaking her head in certainty, “It’s the only place secure enough that he could leave something so important when it’s not on him.” 

“Okay,” the boy breathed out before sprinting back up to the school again. 

“I feel sorry for him,” Erica sighed sympathetically, taking a seat across from Allison as she continued, “Running around the whole school, back and forth. He’s gonna wear himself out if he keeps it out.” 

Vanessa gave her blonde friend the side eye as she joined her, joking, “Knocking your crush unconscious is all handy dandy but you get concerned when he runs around the school for an hour? That’s mess up.” 

“Hold up,” Allison cut in, pointing to Erica to ask incredulously, “ _You_ have a crush on _Stiles?!_ ” 

“Yeah,” the girl shrugged, retorting defensively, “Is there something wrong with that?” 

“No, no, no,” the dark-haired girl chuckled, rushing to explain, “I just meant, it surprised me. When did you first start liking him?” 

“Freshmen year,” Erica responded, smiling wistfully as her brown eyes darted to the front doors of the school that crashed open as said boy came sprinting back out, “Vanessa introduced me to him and Scott, and I just saw him standing there and - that was that.” 

Stiles stopped in front of their table again, pulling out an inhaler from his bag and sticking it in his mouth as he fought to compose himself. The boy breathed in the air before continuing at a hundred miles per hour, “You know drug dealers have been using disposable phones cell phones pretty successfully for years.” 

Allison shook her head sympathetically at him before explaining, “My parents check every call, email and text message I send. Trust me, they’d find it.” 

“Alright,” the boy sighed, gesturing frantically with his hands, “Can you get the book?” 

“Not without his keys.” 

“Can you do that?” 

The girl thought about it before her eyes hardened in determination as she nodded, “Leave it to me.” 

“Great, good, spectacular. I’m leaving now to go collapse in a room and die peacefully,” Stiles clasped his hands in front of him, nodding at them in salute before picking up his bag and stumbling exhausted back into the building. 

“Isn’t he cute?” Erica grinned at them, watching the boy go with brown eyes glittering in amusement. 

Vanessa turned to Allison, arching a brow as she asked quietly, “ _Every_ text?” 

“Every text.” 

The brunette leaned back with a pale face, mumbling to herself hopefully, “Just _your_ text?” 

“ **Every** text.” 

“Oh _God_ ,” Vanessa groaned out, pulling out her phone as she muttered, “ _Please_ tell me I texted that to Erica and not you.” 

“I didn’t get anything from you,” the blonde interjected, frowning slightly at the girl's peculiar reaction. 

“ **Fuck** ,” her friend hissed from beside her, rubbing at her face tiredly, “I guess your parents know that my boyfriend – who is a _fugitive werewolf_ on the loose – has the kind of body I want to fry bacon on.” 

Erica cracked up, holding her stomach as she choked through broken laughter, “I’m gonna throw up.” 

“Why would you send **that?!** ” Allison exclaimed, grinning even though there were dangerous implications about her parents finding out that Vanessa knew the location of their prey. 

“Because I thought you'd like to know,” Vanessa cried out, throwing her hands up in defeat, “You tell me about Scott – so I thought - that’s what friends do!” 

“Look, it’s fine,” the dark-haired girl held her hands up in front of her in reassurance, suggesting helpfully, “Maybe they have no clue that you were talking about Isaac?” 

“Come to think of it, I don’t think I mentioned him by name.” 

“That’s good. Now, **please** _never_ send me anything like that again.” 

“Noted.” 

\- 

It was later that night, after Derek dropped them off at the car park telling them he would meet them later inside the school, Boyd, Erica and Vanessa approached the bleachers that were beginning to crowd with parents, teachers and students as the game began to start. They were all there to help with getting the bestiary out of the office, after Erica went back to Derek to tell him about what they had found out from Allison. Since Gerard was going to be at the game, they assumed they would need to be extra cautious about handling the situation. Therefore, the whole pack, excluding Isaac who was still a fugitive and was left pouting back at the depot, was in attendance tonight. 

It was Erica’s first lacrosse game, the blonde bombshell coming dressed to impress in a tan leather jacket, light grey tank top and tight light blue jeans. She was hanging off of Boyd’s arm, jumping up and down in excitement, the taller boy chuckling down at the girl when she made a joke about the opposite team’s player. Vanessa smirked at them both, sensing a light chemistry between them, just like she had the day after Erica was bitten. It was soft and cute, something that made her feel a bit bitter inside due to the fact her own beau was sitting on the other side of town, forbidden from walking the street above. 

Why the fuck Derek chanced Isaac going to an _ice rink in the middle of town_ and not hanging around an abandoned school during a lacrosse game was beyond her, but she learnt to swallow down that question after remembering last time she opened her mouth without thinking. Pushing aside her envy of the her two friends, she directed them up to the back of the bleachers where they would be able to have a wider visual of both the game and anything strange going on around it. 

The brunette, on her way up, gave Allison a smile, winking slightly at the girl with a laugh before it died off when Gerard turned to see what his granddaughter found so amusing. He grinned at her, waving slightly in a way that made Vanessa want to throw herself off the bleachers, but she found it within her to give him a tight smile and a wave back before joining her friends at their seats. 

The game began poorly, Scott obviously holding back on doing his usual tricks so as not to arouse suspicion with Gerard and as Danny got called out on an injury, Coach looked around for Stiles. Stiles, who she now noticed, had slipped off to _God knows where_ and was going to be in deep shit when he turned up again. The man turned his frantic gaze to the bleachers, eyes narrowed and searching until they landed on their little group at the back. 

“ **You!** ” he exclaimed, finger pointing at Boyd from where he and Erica were making fun of the game, “You! You play lacrosse?” 

Boyd exchanged a look with the two girls beside him before getting up, halted briefly when the blonde grabbed his arm, “Uh uh. Derek won’t like this.” 

The boy nodded before replying, “Yeah, but I will.” 

Shrugging off his jacket with a smirk as Coach whooped and cheered him on, Boyd shuffled past the two girls to head down to the field. Vanessa patted Erica’s knee in reassurance before going after him. 

“Boyd, wait a minute!" she called, catching up to him as Coach passed over some padded gear and a left over jersy, “If at any point you think you might lose control, I want you to do one of three things. Stand next to Scott, think of your pack or – “ 

She leaned in close with a secretive smile as she whispered in his ear, “Close your eyes and think of the person you’ve been thinking about for a while now. Okay?” 

The girl leaned back, smirking up at him as his dark eyes flickered up to the blonde girl sitting back on the bleachers before nodding back to her. Vanessa slapped his arm in encouragement. 

“Knock em’ dead, man!” 

Boyd gave her a small smile before grabbing a stick and a helmet, running off onto the field while the brunette returned to sit beside the her worried friend. 

“He’s going to be fine,” Vanessa said, slinging an arm over her shoulders in comfort. 

Erica sighed, her leg bouncing nervously as she murmured back, “I hope so.” 

As the game started, the blonde beside her began to tilt her head in a familiar way that drew her focus and made her tense up. 

“What is it? What can you hear?” the brunette whispered as Erica held up a hand to quieten her down so she could focus. 

“Stiles. He’s running into the building - with keys?” 

“ _Keys?!_ ” Vanessa repeated, eyes widening as they jerked to Allison in an oversized coat that she was definently **not** wearing before, “Oh shit, he’s got the keys!” 

“Okay, shit what do I do?” the blonde asked, conflicted between heading to the building to help out and staying there to watch the game. 

The brunette rolled her eyes, settling a hand on her friend’s shoulders as she directed her, “I’m going to go check on him. You stay here, call me if Gerard moves or if something bad happens on the field. I’ll let you know when we got the book but just in case, keep an ear out for me, yeah?” 

Erica nodded back, flashing her a nervous smile before turning back to the game - or more specifically, the newest player on the field. Vanessa started down the bleachers, passing Allison with wink again and asking quickly, “I’m going to the lady’s room but text me if Scott _actually_ makes a goal, yeah?” 

“Sure thing,” the girl replied with a quizzical expression, unsure why her friend was asking her to do something like that when Vanessa turned to the older man next to her, swallowing down the bile that rose up in her throat when she noticed his dark eyes pinned on her and creating the most artistic piece of bullshit she could summon: a dazzling smile that any parent would melt at. 

“Alright, well, I hope you’re enjoying the game, Mr. Argent!” 

“It’s Gerard, Vanessa. **Please** ," he grinned politely at the girl, both of them smiling but really just baring their teeth. 

“Sorry, _Gerard!_ ” 

The girl couldn’t get away fast enough, sprinting as soon as she was out of sight of the bleachers and in the direction of the school before her. 

“Stiles?!” she called out, voice bouncing off the empty corridors, “Stiles?! Where the fuck are you?” 

“In here!” she heard him call back, finding him inside the principals office with his phone out. 

“Well, did you find anything?” Vanessa questioned, looking around to see if there was any old, worn, leather bound books sitting anywhere. 

_As if it was as easy as that._

“Nothing.” 

“Well, shit,” the girl sighed, reaching into her pocket to pull out her phone as it beeped with a new message. 

**DEREK: _Meet me at the swimming pool. Bring Stiles._**

**VANESSA: _Only if you be fucking nice._**

**DEREK: _I’m always nice 😊_**

**VANESSA: _You ruined smiley emojis for me forever._ **

****

“Come on,” she gestured to him, exiting the office and waiting for him to the lock the door, “We need to go see Derek.” 

****

“Whyyyyyy?!” the boy whined, moving to follow her anyway. 

****

“I don’t know. He just sent me a text. Let’s just see what he wants and then get you back to the game. Coach was about to put you on first line, you know that right?” 

****

“ _What?!_ ” 

****

“Yeah but you weren’t there so he put Boyd on instead.” 

****

“ _ **WHAT?!**_ ” 

****

“I know, I know,” she murmured, patting his arm in reassurance, “Maybe some other night.” 

****

The boy scoffed at her as they entered the swimming pool, Stiles’ glaring at Derek when he came out from around the corner to meet them, carrying a basketball in his hands. 

****

“Stiles,” the man smiled, spinning the ball on his finger, “I heard that you saw what was at the _Tire Armor_ last night.” 

****

Vanessa quirked a brow at him, snorting softly as she muttered, “ **Only** because I _told_ you.” 

****

Derek ignored her in favor of staring intently at her best friend, demanding quietly, “Mind describing what you saw?” 

****

“Over a dozen health code violations that I feel the need to report,” Stiles retorted sarcastically, sighing as if this whole conversation was a waste of his time. 

****

The two teenagers watched as the werewolf plunged his claws into the basketball, deflating it in one go and causing Stiles’ to wince. Her best friend hurried to explain that it was a slick looking creature, with dark skin that looked akin to scale. 

****

“Is that enough?” the boy asked, jerking his thumb behind him as he complained, “Okay? because I have somebody that I _really_ need to talk to.” 

****

Derek’s eyes flickered up from the deflated ball in his hands to stare at Stiles, a look that clearly said they weren’t finished. Vanessa sighed at this act of intimidation - and the strange homoerotic tension between the two - shaking it off with a weird look on her face as her best friend grunted and continued on. 

****

“Uh, eyes are, um, yellow-ish and slitted. It has a lot of teeth, oh, and it’s got a tail, too. Are we good?” 

****

Vanessa saw Derek look up, his whole body going still as he trained his attention on something above Stiles’ head. The brunette felt chills climb up her spine as she slowly looked up to find the creature he was describing climbing up the railings above. She shuffled gingerly over to stand beside Derek, eyes locked on the thing peering over at them. 

****

“What? You’ve seen it? You have this look on your face like you know exactly what I’m talking about.” 

****

The creature, a being that made her freeze up in pure horror, perched itself on the bars as if preparing to lunge. A hiss breeched the air, Stiles finally turning around to see what they were looking at and stumbling backwards when it released a horrible screech that clenched Vanessa’s heart with fear as she gripped onto Derek’s hand. 

****

The thing landed in front of them, Derek letting go of the brunette to crouch down as his face turned lupine. The creature’s tail whipped out, meeting the girl beside him with a **WHACK!** that knocked the air out of her and sent her crashing against the wall, heading banging against brick. Black dots filled her vision, body aching and – _if she had to assume_ – bruised as she fought to stay conscious. 

****

Vanessa could hear her friends, a bunch of muffled exclamations and the splash of water before she succumbed to darkness. 

****

\- 

****

“Vanessa,” a voice called to her, loud and furious with worry, “Nessa, _wake up!_ ” 

****

Her eyes flew open, a harsh gasp ripping itself from her mouth as she clutched her chest, scrambling back as her eyes darted around for the reptilian creature that attacked her. 

****

_Where was it? Where was it? Where was it?_

****

_Is it still in here with us?_

****

“Nessa, calm down. It’s gone, we’re **safe** ,” another voice told her as hands, warm and gentle, came around her to carefully pull her off the ground. 

****

The girl hissed out as pain shot from her hip to her head, leaning heavily on the boy in front of her as she grunted, “What happened?” 

****

“You hit your head pretty bad,” Derek’s voice, the same voice that woke her up, explained as he came to stand on her other side, “This time, you’re _going_ to the hospital.” 

****

The brunette sighed, rolling her eyes despite the black shadows that danced behind them as Erica appeared to help her sit down, “Whatever. Did you find the bestiary?” 

****

“Yes, but it’s written in some old language. We can’t translate it,” Stiles grunted, stretching his arms over his head and back. 

****

“It’s called a kanima,” Derek revealed, arms crossed over his chest. 

****

“You knew the whole time?” Stiles drawled out, nodding to himself. 

****

“No,” the man shook his head, “Only when it was confused by its own reflection.” 

****

“It doesn’t know what it is,” Scott realized, eyes widening as they landed on Derek. 

****

“Or who.” 

****

“What else _do_ you know?” the boy with the buzz cut asked suspiciously. 

****

“Just stories,” Derek insisted, shaking his head at his own lack of knowledge, “Rumors.” 

****

“But it’s like us?” Scott clarified, gesturing between the two. 

****

“It’s a shapeshifter, yes, but it’s – it’s not right. It’s like an – “ 

****

“An abomination,” Stiles finished, licking his lips and looking away quickly when Derek nodded at him. 

****

Boyd came running into the room, stopping in front of them all as he told Derek, “I tracked it’s scent to the field, but I lost it there. 

****

Vanessa smirked at him, remembering what they were doing before the ambush happened as she asked, “How was the fields, by the way? Did we win?” 

****

“We did,” Scott nodded, interrupting the other boy before he could get a word out, “Although, we almost got caught when Boyd **shifted**.” 

****

“How much?” 

****

“Just the eyes but – “ 

****

Vanessa sighed, smiling up at Boyd reassuringly, “Don’t worry. You just need some practice. The full moon isn’t for another couple of weeks, so you have plenty of time.” 

****

“He could have exposed us!” Scott argued, stepping in front of her. 

****

“Do you know have many times you glowed your eyes like that? A fucking half a dozen. _At least_. Along with doing backflips and trick shots that aren't humanly possible,” the brunette pointed out, shaking her head at her friend as she waved a hand at the dark skinned boy who was standing sentinel at the entrance to the pool “Boyd, what? Glowed his eyes? Knocked some guy down without budging, maybe? The latter I’m sure the guy could have done from ROTC training _alone!_ ” 

****

“You know I do ROTC?” the boy called out questioningly, brows furrowed at the shorter girl. 

****

“Of course, I did, silly,” she grinned back, “I wanted to know what your hobbies were. Maybe incorporate some of it into your training.” 

****

Derek nodded in approval at the idea before turning to Scott, watching as the boy stared at him in silence before rolling his eyes and jerking his head at his Betas’ to head out. 

****

Scott sighed as the group began to walk away before calling out, “Derek!” 

****

They stopped and turned, the man in question quirking a brow at the look of reluctance that flashed across the boy's face. 

****

“We **have** to work together on this,” Scott admitted, “Maybe even tell the Argents?” 

****

“You trust _them_?” Derek question incredulously, red eyes flashing in anger at the mere suggestion. 

****

“Nobody _trusts_ anybody,” the boy exclaimed in response, “That’s the problem! While we’re here arguing about who’s on what side, there’s something scarier, stronger and faster than any of us, and it’s **killing** people! And we still don’t know anything about it!” 

****

Vanessa sighed, limping over to Derek to advise quietly, “Look, the faster we can solve this problem, the faster we can prepare and deal with the **other** problem. You and I both know that this is the best you will ever get from him in terms of a willing alliance and I _suggest_ you take it.” 

****

The man glared silently over her shoulder before growling out in frustration, “ **Fine**. But when we find this thing, I’m gonna _kill it_. If it comes between picking the kanima over the innocents it is hunting, I will always choose to kill the killer.” 

****

With that, he gave the girl a nod before walking out, Boyd and Erica waving goodbye before following him out of sight. 

****

Vanessa breathed out heavily, exhaustion eating at her will power and making her sway on her feet before the two boys grabbed her before she could fall over. 

****

“Let’s get you to the hospital,” Scott murmured, picking her up with ease in a bridal style and carrying her out of the building while Stiles stumbled after, calling out in mock outrage. 

****

“Where’s my personal chariot?!” 

****

\- 

****

An hour later, Scott had parked his car at the front of the hospital and was walking over to help his best friend out when Gerard came up from nowhere and stabbed him in the stomach before the boy could turn around. The brunette in the car watched with a hand over her mouth to hush her startled cry. 

****

**_SCOTT _!__ ** __

****

__She watched the knife in Scott’s stomach drive deeper into the flesh there, blood seeping out from the wound. Gerard leaned in, pulling the boy close as he whispered something in his ear before pulling back with a smile._ _

**____ **

**_NO NO NO NO NO NO_**

**____ **

Her best friend’s face grimaced in pain, the older man’s mouth turning in an ugly sneer as he ruffled up the brown hair on Scott’s head in a mocking of the playfulness one shared with a grandson. Vanessa watched as the old man pushed the knife deeper, eyes widening at the boy in front of him as he muttered a few more words she couldn’t hear before his cold, merciless eyes turned on her. 

**____ **

_Please don't look at me, please don't hurt me, please, please, please, Please, PLEASE!_

**____ **

She didn't know how to explain it, the look he gave her but the closest she could come to words was the look you gave someone when you were going past there hiding spot during a game of hide and seek. You know, when you thought that someone was there but self doubt plagued your mind, calling you a fool and pushing you to go on with your search. You felt so sure that someone was there but you couldn't physically **_see_** them. That was how she felt when Gerard looked at her - looked _through_ her - before turning back to the boy on the other end of his knife, shaking his head at him before pulling the knife out and heading off into the darkness, tipping his hat to a lady in passing like the gentleman’s face he wore. 

**____ **

Her breathe shuddered in her chest, fear rooting her to that seat as she could do nothing but watch as her friend groaned in agony, Melissa McCall coming up to the car with a smile on her exhausted face before she caught Vanessa crying in the back seat. The car door to the girl’s right flew open as the nurse’s kind, concerned face appeared beside hers with a frown marring her forehead as she asked, “Sweetheart, what happened?” 

**____ **

“I uh, sorry, I-I slipped in the locker rooms trying to get one of the players an extra jersey. I hit my head pretty bad so Scott drove me here,” the girl explained, wiping at her face as the woman helped her out of the car to inspect her head in the light. 

**____ **

Vanessa watched out of the corner of her eyes as Scott covered his wound with a hand, leaning against the car as he waited for it to heal. Whatever Gerard had said to him had given him more fear than the knife in his stomach did. If Scott was starting to doubt the integrity of the Argents, then it was time to dismiss her earlier suggestion to Derek and it was time to be **afraid**. It had been the only emotion she had felt in that _monster's_ presence and it was time that they started taking precautions for it. But first, to keep Melissa from seeing the amount of blood dripping between her son's fingers. 

**____ **

“You poor thing,” she murmured softly, checking the area where her head had met the wall and pulling back with her brows furrowed, “I’ll take you inside and get your mom. I think there’s a bump forming but they’ll need to get a closer look.” 

**____ **

Melissa turned to Scott, telling him that she would only be five minutes. The boy mumbled out his agreement, meeting Vanessa’s curious eyes and shaking his head. _Later_ , he mouthed to her, the girl only nodding back from over her shoulder as Melissa led her towards the hospital. 

**____ **

Vanessa smiled weakly at her godmother before apologizing sheepishly, “Sorry, you were just about to head out and now I’m cutting into your relaxation time.” 

**____ **

“And if it was anyone else, I'd be pissed,” Melissa glanced at her before smiling warmly, “But for my goddaughter? I can make an exception.” 

**____ **

“Tell me, why are you still single?” the girl frowned in confusion, cursing Peter Hale silently for stringing the woman along and making her hope for a second chance at a relationship, “Seriously, is every man in this town married, in high school or just too stupid for words?” 

**____ **

“With the people I see coming in here every night,” the woman began as she pushed open the doors and lead her to the waiting area, “I would say stupid is definitely a word you can use.” 

**____ **

Vanessa chuckled, wincing slightly as she was helped into her seat before the woman went off to the front desk to ask for her mom. Her eyes were drooping shut when Lisa appeared in front of her, face stricken with her hands on her hips as she drawled worriedly. 

**____ **

“What happened to you?” 

**____ **

“I ran on wet tiles like you told me not to.”

**____ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Oh my God, did I scare anyone with that tease about the title? - worry not, there won't be any illicit affairs, crushes or relationships between any students or teachers in this fic (unless, of course, you count Vanessa blackmailing Harris and his hatred for anyone under the age of eighteen).  
> \- What do you think about the ending of this chapter? What are your theories - I'm super curious to know what you guys think!  
> \- I know that this was pretty plot heavy this chapter and Isaac sadly didn't make an appearance, so I am glad to inform you all that the next chapter, our favourite baby boy is coming back to school! And with his return, chaos, mischief and the usual shenanigans you would expect between him and Vanessa.....and maybe more!  
> \- Please leave a comment and a kudos! As always, I thrive on suggestions, feedback and kudos ;)


	12. Hello, Handsome.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our baby boy returns to school a free man, our favourite girl is excited of course but when she confronts Scott and Stiles about the events of Tuesday night - what will happen to our favourite Beacon Hills trio and will it make them or break them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, Isaac is back and I'm so fucking happy :)  
> Leave a comment and a kudos down below to tell me what you think :)

After giving her a checkup, Lisa established pretty quickly that she didn’t have a concussion but that her daughter should still have at least one day of rest before she was to return to school. Vanessa spent all of Wednesday worried out of her mind about Scott, about the kanima and about Gerard. Specifically, what Gerard _said_ to Scott, considering her friend wasn’t answering her calls or texts and Allison told her he hadn’t passed a message to Stiles the whole day. Meaning that when Thursday morning had rolled around, she was determined to kick his ass. 

_In a friendly, non-volatile way because we do not support abusive friendships._

_Unless it’s Stiles, then sometimes Stiles needs a cuff in the back of the head for some of the shit that leaves his mouth._

_And unless Scott is being a dick on the night of a full moon, then he might need a little mouth to mouth. With my shoe._

_Fuck, I might need to see the guidance counselor._

In true Vanessa O’Connor fashion, she didn’t show up to school after having the day off without reminding everybody of what they were missing. That morning as she parked her Ford in the car park, she felt like she could **own** the cess pit they call an education center. Springing out with her salted caramel latte and Britney Spears lulling seductively in her ear, she strutted into the building in her black leather ankle boots, giving her a taller appearance for a change. 

She saw a few people eyeing her up in interest, drawn to the leather jacket on her back and the red mini-tartan skirt that swayed tauntingly behind her as she walked. Of course, she wouldn’t give them everything she had to offer – keeping things mysterious with the black stockings she wore. Everything she had to offer was saved for a special boy that she had to wait until the end of the day to see. 

It was sad things like that, that could bring down a mood as good as hers. The girl tried to swallow it back, the loneliness she felt sinking her down every single day she couldn’t see him, couldn’t feel him, couldn’t hear him. She hated feeling this way, this dependent on someone else to feel wholesome. And as much as she resented it, she also held onto that bitterness because at least he was out there, somewhere. At least she had him in one way or another. She wouldn’t let that go even if she missed him to the point it hurt to walk. 

Vanessa plastered on the most confident smile she could as she headed to her locker, shoulders sagging despite her resolve while she put in her pin and opened it up to put her stuff away. The brunette fixed up her hair in the mirror, pulling half of it out of her face and into a ponytail while leaving the rest to cascade down her back in soft, glossy waves before touching up her lips. She felt someone move behind her, head jerking back when she went to see who it was in the mirror and almost fainting on the spot. 

The girl spun around, rushing into arms that were already open and ready to envelope in her a tight, bone-crushing hug, the kind whose hurt made you feel happier than ever before. It was the type of hugs that clapped like thunder, that sent shivers up flesh and made people smile at the warmth and pure joy in exhibited. It was all that and more being in _his_ arms again as she whispered in amazement, “How?” 

Isaac Lahey smiled softly from where his face was buried in her shoulder, lips brushing against leather as he replied, “Just gave Jackson a little push in the right direction and he retracted his statement. I’m a free man, beautiful.” 

“Nuh uh,” she shook her head, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer, “You’re _my_ man.” 

He gave her a crooked grin as her lips crashed into his, his arms tightening around her waist possessively to bring her flush against him. Her soft body melded into his perfectly, in a way that made him feel like he had been brought home. He had seen her just a few days ago, yet they kissed as if they hadn’t seen the other in years. It was a passion that had him on the brink of insanity for the past week, not seeing her as constantly as he had for over four years and it **showed**. 

“Get a room!” somebody yelled at them, causing giggles and laughter to erupt from all around the hall. 

Vanessa didn’t care though, flipping the bird without breaking apart from him. Who would turn away from a kiss like that? Not someone as smart as her, that’s for sure. She had just began to start deepening their kiss when the bell for homeroom rang out, the two sighing in frustration before breaking apart from one another. 

“Are we ever going to get a moment without being interrupted?” the brunette growled out, slamming her locker shut in anger. 

She felt soft lips press against her head and smiled as Isaac whispered back, “We could always ditch?” 

“On your first day back?” Vanessa asked, arching a brow before shaking her finger at him, “As angry as I am that I can’t get a moment of peace with you, I’m not so angry as to ignore the fact that you’ve missed out on a ton of school work. You, mister, are catching up. Pronto. Let’s go.” 

The boy groaned from behind her as she slipped her small hand into his and led him off to homeroom, where they entered the late in true Vanessa O'Connor style. Harris raised a brow, but at their twin threatening looks, backed off – miraculously – and continued taking the role. The two teenagers took their seats, Vanessa turning in her chair to face Erica’s smirking face as she asked, “And you didn’t give a girl a heads up?” 

“And miss the show I witnessed when I came in this morning?” the blonde retorted, a crooked grin on her red lips as she added, “Thanks for that, by the way. I – as well as the rest of the school – enjoyed it **immensely**.” 

“I’m glad we could satisfy you all,” Isaac muttered from in front of them, lying his head down on his desk. 

“Considering we barely satisfied ourselves,” Vanessa finished without thinking, a hot blush appearing on her cheeks as the boy jerked up in his seat and the blonde behind her burst out laughing. 

“ _Something_ you would like to share with us, Miss Reyes?” Harris called from the front. 

“I would **love** to but unfortunately, sir, it’s not appropriate for a school environment,” Erica grinned, shooting her two friends in front of her a wink. 

“Well, since your discussing it in a school classroom, it must not be that inappropriate.” 

“Well, when you put it that way – “ 

The blonde began to stand up, much to the distress of the brunette in front of her, when the bell rang for first period. Vanessa collapsed onto the desk in front of her in relief, a breathless laugh escaping her throat as her boyfriend murmured quietly, “Saved by the bell.” 

As the class emptied out, the three teenagers got up to follow before Harris slid over to block them from leaving. 

“I will no longer be tolerating your disrespect and rudeness in my class, Miss O’Connor,” he glared down at her, silver eyes glinting from his pale face, “Don’t think I noticed that with the change of leadership at this school, you have backed down quiet a bit from your past…… _ **promises**_. Therefore, it is my assumption, that you have something to be afraid of. And I intend on taking advantage of that as you did with me.” 

The two werewolves behind her growled out at the silent threat, making to step up beside her until she threw both her arms up, a warning in her eyes before she veiled it with sardonic contempt as she turned to the man and gave him a humorless smile. 

“Whatever you say, _teach_ , but I suggest being very, very careful with what you do choose to say around me anyway. Just because you – _how did you put it?_ – **presume** my feelings towards the changes in this school, doesn’t mean that I’m any less willing to put what I know out there. For everyone to read, listen and talk about. Even if your past hobbies don’t earn you a sack, I’d say your credibility as a mentor to children everywhere would be irreparably damaged.” 

The brunette stepped up beside him, whispering lowly as she slid under his arm, “Don’t _**ever**_ threaten me again.” 

She watched in dark amusement as his arm slipped from the door, allowing her two friends to exit after her as they shot menacing looks at the pale man before turning to go on ahead. Vanessa gave the teacher a little wave before following, slinging her arms around the teenagers and grinning at them both. 

“That was fun,” she announced as they headed down the hall, drawing the attention of a few onlookers, “Let’s do it again sometime.” 

Isaac shook his head at her in adoration, wrapping an arm around her waist as he bent to kiss her on the temple, “You’re crazy, beautiful.” 

“I think you meant crazy beautiful. It’s fine, I totally agree with that.” 

“What in the world do you have on Harris?” Erica piped up from her right, brown eyes glittering in interest. 

“A little arson, a little accomplice to murder,” Vanessa shrugged nonchalantly, “Specifically, his part in helping Kate Argent set fire to the Hale House six years ago.” 

“Shit,” the tall boy hissed out, eyes wide as he asked, “Really?” 

“He fell for a pretty face at a bar. As they all do.” 

Erica laughed at the look on Isaac’s face and leaned over to ask, “If Nessa here walked up to you in a bar, would you help her commit arson?” 

The boy glanced down nervously at the short brunette looking up at him expectantly before muttering, “It’s a trick question.” 

“While you deal with the fall out from your inevitable answer,” the blonde began, smiling mischievously, “I’m gonna save us some seats.” 

Vanessa peered around the corner to see Scott already sitting in the back, looking uncomfortable as Erica took a seat beside him with a mischievous smirk when the brunette was struck with the greatest idea she ever had. 

“So,” she drawled out, tugging Isaac inside the classroom and restraining her laughter when she saw her best friend’s eyes grow wide at the sight of the previously wanted boy, “Would you do it if I did this?” 

The girl ran her hands up the front of Isaac’s leather jacket before pulling him down by the lapels and taking his lips for her own. She grinned inwardly when she felt his hands settle low on her back in response, the boy groaning deep in his throat as she kissed him in a way that would definently earn them a lifetime of detentions if the teacher caught them. 

Vanessa pulled back, smirking up at him as her boyfriend nodded eagerly, “I’d do it. In a heartbeat.” 

She threw her head back laughing, leading him to the seat next to her while she took the one in front of Scott. The brunette glanced over at Erica, winking victoriously as the blonde grinned back, “Too easy.” 

Their amusement was interrupted when Scott grunted out, “What is _he_ doing here?” 

“Um, going to school?” Vanessa retorted, turning around to frown at him as she threw back sarcastically, “What are _you_ doing here?” 

Her best friend rolled his eyes at her before sighing in frustration, “I meant how is he here when he’s wanted by the police.” 

“He **was** wanted by the police,” Erica corrected, settling back with her arms crossed in front of her chest, “Now he isn’t.” 

“ ** _How?_** ” 

“Like I told Nessa,” Isaac didn’t bother turning around to address the other boy as he continued, “I gave Jackson a push in the right direction.” 

“What does that mean?” 

“It means that when we tested to see if he was the kanima, I took the opportunity to ask him for a small, miniscule favor.” 

Scott scoffed in disbelief, “You threatened him, didn’t you?” 

The taller boy glanced over his shoulder with a smirk as he responded, “Only a little.” 

Stiles chose that moment to stumble into the room, taking the seat behind Scott as he said, “Dude, I just talked to my dad, who just talked to Jackson and I’ve got really terrible, horrible, very, _very_ **bad** news.” 

Vanessa watched in amusement as Scott scrambled to stop their best friend, eyeing Isaac warily as he sighed, “I think I already know.” 

The late comer glanced to the boy sitting next to Vanessa, swallowing hard when he saw who it was while the girl chimed in, “Guys, don’t be mean. You’re acting like Peter Hale just waltzed into class!” 

“Okay, so he might not be _Peter_ bad, but he isn’t exactly a saint!” 

“Neither am I!” she whispered back harshly, leaning over the back of her chair to throw back at them, “I’ve been blackmailing Harris for over a month now. I’ve kept secrets, I’ve lied, and I’ve gone behind everybody’s backs _at least_ twice and yet I’m **still** your best friend. Isaac shows up to school in a leather jacket and a smirk and he’s, what? The bad boy now?” 

“She doesn’t think I’m a bad boy?” Isaac mumbled over to Erica with a pout. 

The blonde swatted his shoulder, hissing out, “She’s sticking up for you, moron.” 

“Right,” he nodded, reaching a handout to grip hers as he rushed to reassure her, “Thanks for the defense, beautiful, but I’m all good.” 

Vanessa sighed, sinking low in her seat as she sniffed dramatically, “I just don’t get why they’re so against me being happy. I support them with their love lives, I’m always there when they need me. I literally sat in the middle of a cold, dirty woods trying to find Lydia and I talked to Allison about her necklace so that Scott wouldn’t have to. I got Erica to apologize to Allison, yet they can’t just swallow back their paranoia to be happy for me?!” 

She started tearing up as Isaac squeezed her knee, murmuring soothingly to her, “Shh, it’s okay, gorgeous. They just need some time to come around.” 

“ _Wow_. Look what you did,” Erica muttered over to the boys, “You made your best friend cry. Hope you’re happy with yourselves.” 

“ _Come on!_ ” Stiles groaned, throwing his head back as he grumbled, “She wins every time.” 

“Stiles,” Scott shook his head in defeat, “Let’s just apologize. I can’t handle it when she starts crying.” 

“It’s like watching a kicked dog look to you for help.” 

“It’s like watching a lost child at the mall look for its mom.” 

“ **We get it** ,” Isaac growled out, shooting them glares as he jerked his head to the girl next to him, “Could you please just tell her your sorry and you won’t do it again? Or do I have to get of my seat and **make** you?” 

“Really? You wanna play tough guy?” Stiles leaned back, arching a brow as he scoffed, “You _just_ got cleared of all charges. You really wanna commit another crime? So soon?” 

The taller boy growled, eyes flashing yellow in warning, causing the boy in the back to yelp out in shock. Scott’s eyes widened as he turned around to exclaim, “ _Stiles!_ ” 

“Fine. Nessa, we’re sorry and we won’t be dicks about your boyfriend anymore,” the boy rushed out reluctantly, eyes rolling when the girl predictably sprang up in her seat with dry eyes and a hopeful smile. 

“Really?! Aw, you guys are the **best!** ” 

“And you’re **evil,** ,” Stiles smiled sweetly back at her as she winked at him playfully, turning back around to face the front as the teacher came in to begin the lesson. 

While the teacher droned on and on about Russian – German relations during World War II, Vanessa felt her eyes droop in boredom, hand flying to her mouth to cover her yawn. A piece of paper bouncing onto her desk caught her attention, eyes darting to the boy who threw it with a curious smile before she plucked it up and read its contents. 

_**I know I say it all the time, but you look really do look beautiful today. Hot, even 😉**_

The girl giggled, the light, tinkling sound drifting over to Isaac who grinned proudly at himself for being the cause of the beautiful sound. He heard her rip out her own piece of paper, the pen scratching a message he knew would either cause him great happiness, great amusement or great suffering. As it always was with the girl beside him. 

A piece of paper slid across his desk a few seconds later and he wasted no time in unfolding it. 

_**You don’t look to bad yourself 😉 Hot, even.**_

Vanessa watched the dopey grin appear on her boyfriend’s face before he wrote back. 

_**I like how we’re matching today. Leather looks good on you.**_

_**Like really good.**_

Isaac thought he might get one of those adorable blushes from her, like he had that night he chose not to wear a shirt to bed but he should have known better. Vanessa might forgive but the girl would never forget. He opened up the new piece of paper on his desk with an arched brow, lips quirking up in a crooked smile. 

_**You know how else we could match?**_

_**If we both weren’t wearing any clothes 😉**_

The brunette heard the boy choke as he read her note, hiding her laughter behind her hand as she watched him compose himself. Pink cheeked and wide eyed, Isaac sat back in his chair with his own hand over his mouth and seemed to be struggling with getting his brain to work. Her boyfriend cleared his throat several times before leaning over his desk to look at his note again. The words didn’t change, didn’t waver and disappear into something mundane. No, Vanessa could never be mundane in anything, not even when passing a note. 

Suddenly, images started flashing through his mind, cracking at his composure like a hammer to a nail. 

_Miles of soft skin, his lips on a journey across the great plains of **bare** flesh._

_The **hitch** in her breathe as his fingers dance across sensitive points, mapping out the freckles he sometimes glimpsed when she wore those cute little shorts in Gym class._

_Hands caressing her naked curves, imprinting the picture of her **unravelling** before him into his physical memory._

_His mouth pulling curses of all kinds from those pretty, red lips of hers as he took her apart, **one nerve at a time.**_

“ _Sir_ ,” he raised a hand, voice strained and catching as he asked, “Can I please be excused?” 

“Sure, go ahead.” 

He couldn’t get out of there fast enough, the sound of her muffled laughter ringing in his ear and the feel of that _goddamn_ note crumpled in his fist as he headed to the bathroom, vowing silent revenge against the girl who threatened to drive him mad every minute he spent with her. 

Back in the classroom, Vanessa was leaning back in her seat with a victorious smirk spread across her face as Scott and Stiles groaned in disgust from behind her and Erica lay sprawled over her desk, shoulders shaking with silent laughter. The teacher heard all these strange sounds coming from the group at the back and raised a brow at their behaviour. 

“Is there a problem back there, guys?” the man asked with a heavy sigh. 

“No, sir,” the brunette smiled sweetly, too self-satisfied to be anything but guilty as she insisted, “No problem _at all_.” 

\- 

Isaac didn’t return for the rest of the lesson, Erica grabbing his bag and reassuring Vanessa she would give it to him before he headed off to his next class. Feeling a little guilty – _but still **really** proud_ – she trailed after Stiles and Scott as they headed to Psych, the former telling them about the research he found about the kanima online. 

“Alright, I only found one thing online called the kanima. It’s a were-jaguar from South America that goes after murderers.” 

“But that thing wasn't a jaguar,” Scott shook his head in confusion at the information. 

“Yeah, and I’m not exactly a murderer,” Stiles retorted back, gesturing to himself. 

“Yeah, but you **did** see it kill somebody, which is probably why it tried to kill you,” the other boy pointed out, turning to look at Stiles with wide eyes, “And it’s still trying to kill you, and it probably won’t stop until you’re dead.” 

Vanessa gaped at her best friend’s blunt words before cuffing him in the back of the head. 

“ _ **Ow!** _”__

____

“Well, fuck,” she exclaimed back at him, hands on her hips as she gestured to a pale Stiles, “You don’t just say shit like that in that-that tone!” 

____

Scott rubbed at the back of his head dramatically, earning an eye roll from the short brunette. 

____

“Grow up, you’re a werewolf – that probably didn’t even hurt!” 

____

“Just because we have super healing doesn’t mean we don’t feel pain!” 

____

“Guys,” Stiles hissed at them, glancing around frantically, “O-nay olf-way alk-tay!” 

____

“What?” the other boy scrunched his face up in confusion while the girl rolled her eyes. 

____

“Yeah, don’t worry about keeping the secret from Gerard anymore,” Vanessa snarked, rolling her eyes until they landed on Scott, “He pretty much _drove it home_ Tuesday night that he knew, didn’t he Scott?” 

____

“ _What?!_ ” Stiles exclaimed panicked. 

____

It was now Scott’s turn to glance around nervously before pulling them into an empty classroom, turning around with a heavy sigh as he said, “Gerard knows. He stabbed me when I was taking Vanessa to the hospital after the game.” 

____

“Two things,” the other boy held up his fingers, blinking incredulously at his best friend as he listed, “One, why are you still alive and two, why am I only **now** hearing about it?” 

____

“He told me that he wants a favour from me and if I didn’t comply or if I told anyone about it, he'd kill Vanessa! And my mom too. Probably even you, if we want to list the people that he's most likely to go after!” 

____

“Oh great,” the brunette sighed heavily to herself, mumbling sarcastically, “I just signed my death sentence. I love it when I do that.” 

____

“That’s why I didn’t answer your texts,” Scott grounded out, running a hand through his hair as he turned to Stiles, “And that’s why I didn’t tell you!” 

____

“Well, do you have any idea what he wants? When he wants it?” 

____

“If he wants fries with it?” Vanessa added sarcastically, earning twin glares from both of the boys. 

____

The girl threw her hands up in surrender, miming zipping her lips before settling herself down on a desk as Scott turned to the other boy to answer his questions, “I don’t know what he wants. He just said that one day, he would want me to do him a favor?” 

____

“Is it a _sexual_ favor?” Stiles asked cautiously. 

____

Scott’s face reared back in horror at the suggestion as he shouted, “ **NO!** I hope not!” 

____

Vanessa fell back laughing, clutching her stomach as a stitch built up inside of her from the sheer hilarity that comment was. 

____

“It’s not funny!” 

____

“You’re right,” she sprang up, humor fading as she fixed him with a hard look, “I fucking told you that Gerard was bad news! You ignored me and this is what happens. Note that every time you guys ignore me for now on, you’re gonna get stabbed by the guy or gal you’re backing up while I’m sitting safe and sound in the back seat of your car!” 

____

“Okay, I get it!” the werewolf yelled back, throwing his hands up as he asked, “What am I supposed to do?!” 

____

The brunette leaped off of the table to stand in front of him, fixing the boy with a hard look as she told him what's what, “You’re going to double cross the mother-fucker. Get in on this plan of his, agree to anything and come back to me about it. Only to me. Not to Stiles, not to Allison, not to anybody else. Stiles has to pretend to know nothing about Gerard knowing, Allison already knows nothing about Gerard knowing. The only person he does know about him knowing is me, but we can pretend we’re on the outs as soon as I leave this room.” 

____

“Why can’t I know?” Stiles whined, throwing his hands out in front of him, “I wanna be in the know.” 

____

“Because being in the know could fucking **kill you** ,” she hissed back, probing his shoulder hard with her finger, “Gerard is a cold, mean and merciless bastard who is not afraid to stab Scott, threaten to stab me and walk away like it was nobody’s business. He is not the sort of man you want to go up against but we’re doing it anyway, but Scott can’t tell anyone else the details. He can’t be seen telling anyone else anything. He will have eyes on him everywhere.” 

____

“Fine,” the boy crossed his arms over his chest, “But I will be let ‘ _in the know_ ’ eventually, right?” 

____

“Yes,” she nodded back, turning to Scott, “When the time is right, we’ll strike back. But right now, we lack information, lack a plan and we lack contacts. With me, we have one contact, a plan in the making and on the way to some solid information.” 

____

“So, what? We’re going to pretend we’re not friends anymore?!” 

____

“Yes,” Vanessa nodded with a heavy sigh, looking up at him with solemn eyes, “Starting as soon as I walk out that door.” 

____

“Nessa, I don’t want to do this. Just let me do this al – “ 

____

“I swear to **God** , Scott McCall,” she threatened with one finger, tears already welling up in her eyes, “If you try to tell me you want to go through this _alone_ , I **will** smack you.” 

____

Scott softened, shoulders slouching in defeat as he sighed heavily, “Fine, but at least let Allison know we’re not actually fighting.” 

____

“How?” she posed, waving her arms helplessly, “He’s installed cameras around the whole goddamn campus. He’s everywhere we fucking turn! Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already bugged this mother-fucking room!” 

____

“He hasn’t,” Scott insisted, shaking his head at her, “I would have heard the static.” 

____

They were silent for a minute, trying to sort through this really bad plan of theirs when Stiles spoke up quietly. 

____

“There’s the roof.” 

____

The other two looked at him in surprise before Vanessa started nodding, “That could work actually. We would have to be smart, use two different entry points but I think me, and Allison could definently meet up there. If we take Erica with us, she could listen out for anyone coming up and we could slip down the fire escape without anyone being none the wiser.” 

____

“Erica?” Stiles voiced incredulously, “You’re not _seriously_ suggesting that Derek’s little pack is getting in on this!” 

____

“She’s right, Stiles,” Scott sighed, nodding his head in agreement, “I’m gonna need his help.” 

____

“How much of a range can your hearing go?” Vanessa asked, turning to her best friend as he considered it for a moment. 

____

“To the other side of the school? Probably more if I tried.” 

____

“How about to the top of the roof?” 

____

“Is that how we’re exchanging information now?” Stiles snorted, crossing his arms over his chest, “Vanessa’s gonna stand on the ledge alongside Erica and you guys are gonna _whisper_ back and forth? _**Seriously**_?” 

____

“We can always go for that disposable phone thing you suggested to Allison, but I like my suggestion better.” 

____

“Of course, you do, you drama queen!”

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- If anyone is curious:  
> \- Britney Spears ' _Toxic_ ' was the song Vanessa was listening to when she walked into school that morning.  
> \- If anyone's curious as to what song I imagined with Isaac's return to school - it was 'Without Me' by Eminem despite the fact I can't actually see Isaac Lahey being the kind of guy who listens to Eminem. Opinions?  
> \- Who thinks Vanessa needs to see a therapist? And is anyone really concerned with her affinity for violence or nah?  
> \- What did everybody think of Scott and Stiles' reaction to finding out Isaac's back?  
> \- When Isaac says 'Only a little' in response to Scott questioning if he threatened Jackson, that was inspired and heavily based on Captain Jack Sparrow's response to Will Turner's questioning if Jack threatened Elizabeth Swan. Just in case you thought it was familiar.  
> \- Did everybody like that little scene between Vanessa and Isaac with the note passing?  
> \- And how do you think this plan will go down? Anyone worried, scared? afraid?


	13. Showtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanessa puts on a show but is it good enough to fool a snake like old man Argent?  
> Erica wants to prove she's changed and in doing so, comes face to face with a demon of her past.  
> Allison is told the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Implied sexual harassment and insinuations of sexual assault in this chapter. It is during the Gym scene so that when you get to it, please be aware that there is specific languages referencing to sexual assault and similar situations.
> 
> Please leave a comment and a kudos to let me know what you guys thought x

Isaac was walking with Erica to their respective Psych classes when the door of the English classroom flew open, Vanessa storming out, crackling with fury as tears ran down her cheeks. 

“I thought you said you wouldn’t do this!” she shouted, pointing at Scott accusingly. 

The boy had followed her out, now sighing in regret as he glanced around frantically at the amount of eyes on them, “Nessie, please, let’s not make a scene.” 

“First, you don’t **trust** me to tell me anything!” the girl exclaimed, waving her arms around sarcastically, “And now you’re going back on your promise? You said you would support me!” 

“I know, look I just don’t trust **him** ,” Scott murmured to her, trying to catch her in her state of anger, “I don’t trust the **person** you’ve become around him.” 

“What the _bloody_ **fuck** does that mean?!” Vanessa screamed, voice growing louder and louder that it physically hurt the werewolves standing by to listen, “I’m your best friend. I’ve been your best friend since you were born!” 

“I know,” the boy said back seriously, running a hand through his hair, “I just don’t think you’re the same girl anymore.” 

The taller boy watched aghast alongside the blonde as Vanessa flinched back like Scott physically struck her, stammering out with mascara and eyeliner dripping down her once beautiful face now red and splotchy with her distress. 

“Please don’t do this,” she begged softly, hands reaching out to the boy in front of her as if she could sway him by a simple touch, “What about Stiles? You trust him right?” 

“Stiles knows when to leave me alone!” he growled out, pulling his hands from her grip, vicious enough that it made the two werewolves watching growl, “And **you** clearly don’t. You think I don’t trust you, but you clearly don’t trust _me_ either! I’m not a little kid anymore, Vanessa! I can make my own choices and I don’t have to tell you anything about them!” 

“Scott, please, I just wanted to know – “ 

“Guys, please don’t do this,” Stiles pleaded as he pushed himself in between them, trying to stop the fight when Scott shook his head. 

“No, I can’t deal with it anymore,” the boy exclaimed, running a hand through his hair as he pointed accusingly at the girl in front of him, “Why can’t she be more like you?! Why can’t she learn to stay out of people’s business? Not everything is about you, Vanessa! Go back to your fugitive boyfriend, stay out of my head, stay out of my way and, how about, stay out of my life!” 

The boy turned and headed down the hall with a scowl etched onto his face, ignoring the shocked looks of all the teenagers who had witnessed the fight. Isaac couldn’t believe what just went down, having left for about half an hour only to come back to the twilight zone. None of it made sense, the fight, his girlfriend in tears or the way that Stiles took back his arm from her grip, apologetic eyes staring down at her before he jogged down the hall to catch up with his other best friend, leaving Vanessa crying in the middle of a crowded corridor full of people notorious for playing Chinese whispers with their social lives. 

Isaac rushed forward, arms wrapping around the girl in a bone crushing hug as he glared at the two-retreating boys. He rubbed her arms gently, making soothing sounds in her ear as she shuddered against him, “It’s gonna be okay, shhh, everything’s gonna be okay.” 

Erica stepped in beside them, placing a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder as she whispered, “Vanessa, what’s wrong? Stiles _always_ sticks his nose in everybody's business, so what’s **really** going on?” 

A whisper drifted through the air, broken by sobs and choked up tears but discernable by the clear and strong voice that was so at odds from the scene before them, “Play along. The roof.” 

They did what they were told, guiding the still sobbing girl up the stairs and onto the rooftop and checking around once to make sure that they weren’t going to be interrupted before turning to find a hard, stony look in Vanessa’s puffy eyes as she dabbed at them lightly with her sleeve, a sardonic smile curled on her lips. 

“How was my acting?” 

“It was fucking brilliantly,” Isaac responded in annoyance, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the door, “Mind filling us in on why it was necessary?” 

“There have been some…. changes,” Vanessa explained, fixing up her hair and face, “It seems Gerard is a bigger problem than Scott previously expected. On Tuesday night, Scott gave me a lift to the hospital and Gerard stabbed him in the stomach out of nowhere. The man knows that Scott is a werewolf.” 

“Then why on earth is he still alive?” Erica frowned, hands on hips. 

“Because he wants something from him. He told Scott that one day, he would ask him for a favor. If he doesn't want to see me dead, Scott won't tell anyone and would along with whatever the hell Gerard wants.” 

Isaac growled, eyes flashing as he lunged from the door, “That’s **not** gonna to happen.” 

“Chill, Casanova,” Erica insisted firmly, sweeping in front of him with two hands up, ready to stop him from wolfing out before glancing back at the brunette with a smile and murmuring, “Our girl has a plan. Per usual.” 

“Indeed, I do,” Vanessa smirked, beckoning them over, “Since I was there that night, I'm the only one with that knows that Gerard knows. But he only knows about the werewolf thing, not the favor thing - which has hopefully been confirmed with that little performance downstairs.” 

“You want him to think that you and Scott are fighting?” 

“Yes, about two things. One, my relationship with Isaac and more specifically, Derek’s pack as a whole. If he thinks that Scott isn’t talking to me, Gerard will assume that Derek has been cut off from Scott. We hope this means he will reveal more in time.” 

“What’s the second thing?” 

“We want to eliminate me as a threat to Gerard’s plans. If he thinks I have no clue about what they were talking about that night, he might not be so inclined to suspect me of being anything more than an innocent bystander. Sure, I know about werewolves and hunters. He already knew that. We just want him to think that’s all I know. It was clear to me a few weeks ago when we were called into his office, that he doesn’t really care much for me and Stiles. I’m pretty sure he perceives us as Scott’s useless, human sidekicks and that is the angle that I want to roll with.” 

“So, how're we gonna get an in on these plans?” Erica asked, coming to lean against the wall beside her. 

“Firstly, since I’ve just been eliminated as Scott’s friend **very publicly** and with a few supporting roles from you guys and Allison, no one will suspect **me** of being the liaison. I'll act as the contact between Scott and Derek.” 

“How's that going to work with you guys ‘on the outs’?” Isaac questioned, crouching down in front of the two girl with an eyebrow raised. 

“That’s where Erica comes in,” Vanessa explained, turning to the blonde in question, “I need you to come with me so that you and Scott can communicate through that cool wolf hearing thingy you do without us being spotted talking.” 

“Is that _really_ necessary though?” the other girl chimed in, frowning at the complexity of the plan, “Like, really. This guy hasn’t made a move so far. We should be worrying about the psycho lizard thing that almost killed you guys on Tuesday night!” 

“Hold on,” Isaac interrupted before the brunette could respond, “I knew that it attacked Derek and Stiles, but nobody said anything about _you_ being attacked.” 

“Shit,” Erica muttered, shooting a sheepish smile at Vanessa’s glare, “ _So-rry_ , I forgot.” 

“You were going to hide it from me?” the boy asked her, eyes wide full of hurt. 

Vanessa winced, moving to crouch down with him as she rushed to apologize, “I know, I know, I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to worry - Besides, the thing _barely_ touched me!” 

“Try again.” 

“ _Fine_ ,” she groaned, rolling her eyes and sitting back against the wall as she muttered, “He _might_ have touched me – and somehow I ended up slammed against the wall and passed out. I wasn’t lying though; it has a strong tail – it barely moved!” 

“ **Nessa** ,” he growled out, eyes flashing gold, “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“I honestly forgot,” Vanessa replied truthfully as she busied herself with fidgeting with his jacket, “I had other things on my mind other than a bump on my head. Besides, it’s gone now.” 

A pair of strong arms came around her, bone crushing in their attempts to reassure their owner that she was safe, that she was okay. Isaac buried his nose into the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply, as if he needed everything from her touch to her scent to know she was actually there. His eyes were still gold even as he pulled back to fix her with a look of such intensity that it bordered on savagery. 

The girl stared back at him, stunned silent at the appearance of his wolf. Even during training, he had never demonstrated this side of him. At least, as far as she was aware. It scared her to think that he would lose himself like this every time she would put herself in danger and thanked her lucky stars that she chose to take a more background role this time around. For his sake, she would try to make it a habit. 

Reaching out to caress his cheek, she leaned forward until their foreheads touched and whispered softly to him. 

“ _Breathe_.” 

Vanessa watched as he closed his eyes, inhaling through his nose and out through his mouth as he reached up to encircle her wrist, leaning into her hand as he continued breathing deep, calming breaths. He focused on her pulse point, listening to it like one would do a heartbeat as he willed his own heart to match hers. When he finally opened his eyes, it was to see her smile of relief. 

“I thought you were gonna wolf out on me there,” she joked, sliding her hand up into his curls and smoothing them back. 

“I think I almost did.” 

“Yeah, but it was kinda cool,” Erica grinned, nodding her head at him as she sat back against the wall. 

The two teenagers whipped their head towards her, eyes wide in shock as they realized they had literally forgot she was there. The blonde winked at them both before gesturing impatiently with her hands. 

“Can we get back to business please?” 

“Sure,” Vanessa nodded back, clearing her throat as she pulled her hand back from her boyfriend and turned towards them both with a serious look, “Back to the kanima, yes, we have to deal with that problem but we can’t forget about Gerard. To others, it may look like we’re focusing all our attention on the kanima and nothing on the coming threat, but we are. Scott and I will be focused on what Gerard wants and the rest of you will focus on how to stop the killings.” 

“We sort of already have a plan for that.” 

Knowing blue eyes flickered up to the two werewolves in front of her as she smirked, “Let **me** be the judge of that.” 

Suddenly Isaac’s head tilted as if he was listening to someone whispering before he motioned for them to get up frantically. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Teacher. Coming up for a smoke break.” 

“Shit. Fire escape.” 

The teenagers scurried down the rusted ladder to the side of the school, Isaac helping Vanessa down before the three headed inside. The bell was ringing out, signaling that it was time to head to their third period Gym class. As the trio walked down the hall towards their lockers to get their stuff, Vanessa noticed Jackson’s face blanch when he saw the werewolves go by, raising an eyebrow at his fearful reaction but deciding she didn't **want** to know, Erica stretching her arms out, silver bangles jangling as she stopped by her locker to turn to the two. 

“So, Derek wants this done in Chemistry?” the blonde double checked with the taller boy, who was rolling his broad shoulders and craning his head as if gearing up for a fight, his girlfriend's eyes narrowing at the action and deciding she didn't have much confidence in this plan of theirs. Not that she didn't think it would work, but because she thought the results wouldn't roll with the legal side of things. 

“The test to see who’s the kanima?” Vanessa clarified slowly, Isaac nodding at her before continuing. 

“Yeah, and if it’s Lydia, I’m gonna **kill** the bitch, alright?” he growled out, eyes flashing gold as they flickered to the brunette beside him. 

The said brunette who thought their plan was _**fucking**_ **shit**. She waited until the hall emptied out, before turning to them both with a serious look in her eyes as she declared, “ _No one is killing anyone_.” 

“What?” Erica blurted out, curls bouncing as she whipped around, “Why not?” 

“Vanessa, the _thing_ attacked you. It attacked Stiles and Derek and killed three others. I’m not gonna let it do that again!” Isaac spat, deep set blue hardening into dark steel as he stared down at his girlfriend. 

“We’re _not_ killing it,” she repeated sternly, “We don’t know if it has any control over what it does. It could be driven by something, possessed even. Stiles told me and Scott that the only thing he could find about the kanima was that, in South American legend, it was a were-jaguar that killed murderers. That’s only **partially** correct. It’s the belief of the Carib tribes that the kanima is an vengeful spirit that possesses people, filling them with a murderous rage that forces them to turn into beasts. Whoever it is, they could be possessed and have no clue who they are or what they’re doing.” 

“What are we supposed to do? Let it kill people?!” 

“Well, I’m not letting my boyfriend and one of my best friends become fucking killers either!” the brunette shouted back, running a hand through her hair and turning to Isaac as she said, “Put it this way. I bet that was the same thing the hunters were thinking when they came after you. They think of werewolves as **beasts** who don’t have control, that they can’t learn it and are therefore a threat to everyone around them. You'd be no better than the hunters that hunt you if you killed someone who had no control over what they were doing, let alone someone who isn’t even _aware_!” 

The short girl gestured to Erica, extending out her hand as she demanded, “Get Derek on the phone. Now.” 

Five minutes later, after calling several times, the dickhead finally picked up the phone. 

“Is it done?” 

“No, it’s not done and it sure as hell won’t be **done** _done_ either!” Vanessa shouted into the phone. 

“Fuck,” she heard Derek ground out before he asked, “What're you doing with Erica’s phone?” 

“What are _you_ doing with your life?” the girl responded sarcastically, shaking her head as she said, “I know you said you were going to kill it but I thought that was just the anger talking. There’s no way in hell I’m letting you kill some kid – especially one of my friends – who probably has no clue what they’re doing!” 

“What do you suggest than, Vanessa?” the man drawled out, the eye roll heard from across the town by the seething brunette, “I’m all ears.” 

“While I support your idea of testing Lydia, I will not stand by and let you kill her. Instead, _if_ it is revealed she is indeed the kanima, you will wait until she has changed and track her down to see who she will kill. After preventing this from happening, you will wait until she has changed back and you will incapacitate her, hold her in some place until we can figure out how to _help_ her.” 

“And if she get’s out? If we don’t get there in time to save the next sorry son of a bitch she decides to off?” 

“Then I will take responsibility for that,” Vanessa sighed heavily before adding in a quiet, solemn tone, “And you can do what must be done.” 

The line went quiet as the Alpha considered her proposal, leaving her waiting nervously for him to respond. She didn’t want Lydia to be killed, she didn’t want anyone else to be killed but this was the only way she could think of that would give them a winning chance at saving whoever it was that was behind that mask Stiles spoke of. Which one of her friends didn’t know about the Halloween costume they wore. 

“Fine. I’ll agree to it, but we **will** come for her if the venom doesn’t work.” 

Vanessa nodded in relief, letting out the breath she didn’t know she was holding before whispering, “Thank you.” 

The call ended as she turned to pass the phone back to Erica with a hopeful smile that made the two werewolves inwardly melt at. More Isaac than Erica, but the blonde was secretly happy she didn’t have to murder someone after school. 

“Alright, Gym time!” 

“I've never seen you excited for Gym in your life,” Erica muttered, obviously not feeling the enthusiasm. 

“Yeah but now I can’t wait for it!” the brunette laughed, feeling free as she skipped down the hall ahead of the two. 

“Neither can I,” Isaac murmured with a smirk as he leaned back to watch his girlfriend’s ass as she went. 

The blonde beside him motioned to her mouth, whispering tauntingly, “You have a little bit of drool, like, right here.” 

“Shut up.” 

\- 

Erica and Vanessa caught up with Allison in the girl’s locker room, the dark-haired girl about to walk out when she spotted the two latecomers strolling in with large grins. 

“Where were you?” she asked, glancing around the empty room before whispering, “I’ve been looking fo you everywhere. People keep telling me about this fight between you and Scott this morning and about how you’re not friends anymore?!” 

“I’ll explain that later,” Vanessa smiled hesitantly, eyes darting around for any cameras – _there fucking shouldn’t be, it was the girl’s locker rooms after all_ – before settling with, “Rest assured, we have our reasons.” 

Allison frowned, dubious about the excuse but accepting it until later came by. She waited while Erica and Vanessa got dressed in their gym shirts and shorts before following them out, eyes catching the tall figure leaning against the wall on the far side of the room and whispering to the short brunette, “You didn’t tell me _he_ was back.” 

Vanessa’s attention was also fixed on Isaac, who had changed into his school sweatshirt and maroon sweatpants and was staring right back at them. Even from the distance, she could feel his eyes on her and knew he was listening in on their conversation. 

“I only found out this morning, Allie,” she responded, blue eyes glittering with mischief, “It was a great fucking morning.” 

“I bet,” the other girl began smirking before turning serious as a grave thought came to her, “What about my grandfather? He _knows_ about him.” 

“He’s not gonna try anything at school,” Erica interjected arrogantly, flipping her hair over her shoulders as she added, “Yeah, we’re new to this werewolf thing but we’re not _dumb_. We’re making sure to stay in crowded places unless we’re with one of you guys. That way he can’t do anything without leaving a witness and a hot mess.” 

“Wouldn’t put it past him to try anyway,” Vanessa muttered, eyes darting to the nearest camera a few feet from them, “We all have to be careful now. There’s eyes and ears on us at all times now with these cameras being installed. We have to keep the business talk to a minimum.” 

“God, we sound like drug dealers,” the blonde rolled her eyes before heading over to Isaac, looking behind her expectantly, “You coming, Ness?” 

“I’ll be with you in a moment,” she said, waving her on before turning to Allison to whisper, "Meet me on the roof at lunch. Come alone and don’t tell anyone where you’re going. The boys already know that you won’t be eating with them.” 

Allison’s brow furrowed in confusion but she nodded anyway before heading to the other side of the room where Scott and Stiles were sitting. Vanessa’s eyes lingered on them for a moment, regret and silent apologies being passed through the space between them before she turned away. God, she knew it was going to be hard pretending like they were on the outs, but not this fucking hard. The boys and her had been stuck together like glue since they were toddlers, always playing together and in each other’s classes. They always hung out at least once a day – _unless she was on her period, then you wouldn’t see them for a fucking week_ – but that would have to stop. 

Sure, Gerard couldn’t follow them around everyday after school and he couldn’t say anything about her showing up at lacrosse games or hanging out with Lydia or Allison but Vanessa figured that the less the old man had to be suspicious about, the more he would open up to Scott about the ulterior motives he hid. 

“Don’t know if I prefer you in those shorts or the little number you had on before,” Isaac commented as she came to stand beside him, flashing her that panty-dropper smirk he developed overnight before giving her a once over with heat in his eyes. 

_Was this payback for History?_

_Well, two can play that game and I don’t like to fucking lose._

“Really?” she shot him a coy smile that made his eyes widen in panic as he realized the opening he gave her. 

“Don’t – “ 

“I thought you'd prefer me in nothing?” Vanessa said, smirking as his jaw dropped open and his head hit the wall behind him with a breathless scoff of disbelief. The girl waved her fingers at him before making her way to where Coach was gathering the rest of the class, her hips swaying back at him like a snake charmer enticing their creature of choice to follow their every command. And God, did he **not** mind being her creature. He didn't mind **at all**. 

“You should know better than to try to one up her,” Erica chided, shaking her head at him in amused disappointment before following after her friend, leaving him there burning with the silent challenge his girlfriend had declared. 

“It’s fucking on, beautiful.” 

Vanessa had no idea of the resolve she had created in the boy she left behind at the wall, standing with her arms crossed in front of Coach as he gestured to the rock wall in the middle of the gym. Her eyes flickered over to the blonde standing next to her, taking in her determination alight in her brown eyes as she stared at the equipment. Vanessa knew that Erica, with her newfound strength and confidence, would want another round with the rock wall. Not only to prove that she didn’t need to fear such small things like falling or heights but to also prove that she had changed from the girl she was before the Bite. 

Personally, she didn’t think that her friend had anything to prove. She was by far one of the most attractive girls in the school, she had the strength and speed to out do every single athletic star in the school and could probably do it while getting perfect grades and hacking everybody’s phones without anyone being none the wiser. But she also knew that Erica needed to prove to herself that it was over. The anxiety, the depression, the constant fear of humiliation in the simplest acts of friendship or greeting. Erica needed to prove she wasn’t _that_ girl anymore. 

Which was why Vanessa wasn’t surprised in the least when the blonde volunteered to go up first. Coach raised a brow at this, looking around with a ‘ _what do I do, I don’t want to get sued_ ’ look on his face that made the brunette stifle laughter as everybody else shrugged back at him. 

“Useless…..every single one of you,” the man muttered to himself before sighing and looking around, “Who else wants to go up with her?” 

Everything that was male and wanted to prove it put their hands up with the exception of Isaac, Stiles and Scott who couldn’t care less when they had their turns. Vanessa saw her friend smirking from where she was fastening her harness, waiting for Coach to choose someone before readying herself at the wall. 

“Bunch of hormonal idiots, I tell ya,” Coach shook his head in disappointment at them before picking a boy he referred to as Walker, the douchebag eyeing up the blonde in front of him like she was some sort of meal he couldn’t wait to dig into. The brunette frowned at him as he came up beside Erica, giving her a wink as he fastened his own harness. 

She didn’t remember why he looked so familiar to her, this Walker dude, but for some reason she was getting the feeling that she was supposed to hate him with every fiber of her being and it kind of weirded her out. She was trying to figure out what was so off with the guy the entire time Erica was climbing up the wall. The girl, once openly sobbing as she clutched the rock handles like her life depended on it, now scurried up the wall with ease, sitting on top and winking down at Coach before she free fell back down and landed in a crouch. 

As she was unfastening the harness, Walker came down after skipping a few handles and landed beside the blonde. While she was still getting out of the straps, he took the opportunity to approach her and smirked down. 

“Hey, I noticed you’re pretty good at this and I was wondering if you wanted to go out some time? Show me the ropes and all?” 

Vanessa, who was next in line to go alongside Isaac, stiffened at the sound of the guys voice. It was a voice she remembered very well, having gone YouTube famous a year ago around school because of a certain incident that lit her veins alight with a burning rage everytime she remembered it. She watched with wide eyes as it hit Erica who exactly was asking her out, the blonde’s shoulders tightening as she straightened up to look the boy in the eye while a humorless smirk curled up on blood red lips. 

“Jacob Walker, right?” Erica asked, cocking her head like she was considering his offer before quirking a brow, “I would but I wouldn’t be able to trust you 'round spoons right? Might take me for dinner and almost break my teeth with one if something were to...…. **happen**.” 

Walker jerked his head back, face paling as if he didn’t realize the girl would recognize him – or would remember. It wasn’t like he traumatized her for the past year or so. 

He scratched his neck sheepishly, chuckling as he gave her a shrug, “Yeah, look about that – “ 

“Or worse, you might flip out your phone and film me seizing around the prime steak you brought me. What would the title be this time I wonder? _Seize_ The Date? The _Steakes_ Are High?” 

The boy stepped back, trying to laugh it off like it was a joke that the blonde girl took too seriously, “Come on! I didn’t mean anything by it!” 

“Yeah and I _totally_ don’t mean anything by it when I tell you that you can **stick** that lame as pick up line _up your ass_ and munch on it. It’s my treat, **sweetie**. Try **not** to break your teeth on it,” Erica drawled sarcastically with a venomous smile as she sashayed back to Vanessa, slapping her palm against Isaac’s raised hand with a grin as they watched in amusement as Walker returned to his group of friends. 

“Don’t worry, man. Just wait until she collapses again, and you can totally hit her up,” one of the boys laughed as he slapped Walker on the back. 

“Then she won’t be able to say no,” another boy jabbed, nudging the returning boy with a wink. 

Time stilled for everybody as the room crackled with tension just before the storm was released upon the unsuspecting boys. Not even Isaac, with his quick reflexes, could catch her as Vanessa sprinted up to them and shoved Walker over, not even waiting for the boy to fall before she moved onto the one who made the ‘ _just wait until she collapses_ ’ comment. A crack reverberated through the room as the girl’s fist met his nose, sending him keeling over and holding his face, crying out. The short brunette turned to the last guy, the one who said the most **disgusting** words that could come out of someone’s mouth and grinned at him. 

“You’re fucking **_doomed_** , man,” she shook her head at him before grabbing him by the front of his sweatshirt and bringing her knee up to meet the family jewels in one swift move. 

The boy slumped against her, eyes rolled into the back of his head and mouth dropped open into a silent scream as she whispered in his ear, “I would have asked but this way _you won’t be able to say no_. I hope you realize now what pain you referred to when you made that comment because it would feel something like this except a **million fucking times worse. Eat shit, you motherfucking bitch.”**

****

Vanessa walked back a step, letting the boy drop to the ground with a thud before turning to the rest of the class who had watched the whole thing, stunned into silence. The girl walked up the Coach, whose wide eyes were glued to three boys on the floor, mouth agape at the scene that lay before him. 

****

“I guess that counts as a detention right?” she murmured without regret. 

****

The man’s eyes didn’t leave the boys as he muttered back, “I didn’t see anything. Nothing happened that wasn’t part of the curriculum. You can have an A in Econ.” 

****

“That last one won’t be necessary, Coach,” Vanessa smiled gratefully at him before walking past to Erica. 

****

“Are you okay?” the brunette asked, rubbing at the blonde’s shoulders gently, “Don’t worry, they won't be saying that shit **ever** again.” 

****

“I can see that” Erica nodded, smiling widely at her with warm brown eyes, “That was the best thing I’ve ever witnessed.” 

****

“Oh, really?” the other girl cocked her head, turning back to watch as Coach approached the boys lying on the ground. 

****

The man prodded one of the boys with his finger, the one whose balls she destroyed, and sighed in relief when the guy let out a low groan in pain. Coach turned to the rest of the room and held up his hands in declaration, “He lives!” 

****

“What the hell, man?!” Walker cried out, getting to his feet, and waving at his injured friends, “That **bitch** just assaulted Mikey and Justin and you’re gonna let her get away with it?” 

****

“Detention for foul language!” 

****

“She broke his nose! Justin’s _balls_ – “ 

****

“Are Justin’s balls, may they rest in peace,” Coach muttered the last bit to himself before whipping around and pointing an accusing finger at the two teenagers groaning from the ground, “If it was legal (and I wouldn’t have vomited) I would've done it myself! They were referring to not only something so _profoundly_ disturbing but also illegal and cause for proper investigation under threat of sexual assault. So, if you wanna keep running your mouth, **kid** , I’d be more than happy to drag the girl up to the principal’s office _just_ to recommend that she do it again for him to enjoy after I tell him of the foul things your friends said.” 

****

The man turned to the rest of the room expectantly, “Did anybody else see what happened here?” 

****

The other teenagers were silent, unsure of how to respond when Scott stepped forward with a small, unsure smile on his face as he suggested, “We didn’t see anything that wasn’t part of the curriculum, Coach?” 

****

Coach grinned at the boy, pointing at him in pride as he said to the others, “He’s on my team for a reason! Who’s next? O’Connor, you can go. Take Lahey with you - welcome back by the way, kid. The team missed you.” 

****

“Coach, didn’t , _you_ say that we should report to the police if we ever saw him – “ 

****

**“I said that I was **sorry** about what happened and I couldn’t ,strong>wait** to get him back, Greenberg, shut the hell up and go to the back of the line!” 

Vanessa giggled, her and Erica exchanging knowing looks as the brunette went up to the wall to start fastening herself to the harness. She glanced at Isaac next to her, his eyes dark and inscrutable as he waited for her to finish. She was kind of confused by this, the way his jaw was clenched and his hands white as they gripped the handles in the wall before him but decided that she could ask about it later. 

The girl started up, brows furrowed in concentration as she focused on which handles would be the easiest to grab when Isaac finally spoke up, “You know, what you did back there was kinda – “ 

“Stupid? Reckless? Irresponsible?” 

“I was going to say sexy but go off.” 

The brunette stopped in her tracks, eyes like saucers as they stared down at him. Isaac grinned cheekily back up at her, the muscle in his jaw ticking as his attention drifted lower and lower as he murmured, “I thought it was _very_ sexy.” 

Clearing her throat, she turned back to what she was doing as she muttered back, “Well, while you’re enjoying yourself, I’m gonna finish this course.” 

She resumed climbing, feeling a keen sense of deju vu before jerking her head up to find Isaac smirking down at her from the top of the wall, calling down to her, “I enjoyed myself **immensely** , if you were curious.” 

Vanessa growled out in frustration, struggling to catch up and leaning against the top of the wall when she finally did, “That’s _cheating_.” 

“Like you cheated in rock, paper, scissors?” he arched a brow at her. 

“I didn’t cheat, I was being _smart_.” 

“Well, I didn’t cheat either. I just used my natural gifts.” 

“Like you were using your _natural gifts_ during rock, paper, scissors – “ 

“Yeah, when you **cheated**.” 

“Well, only because you were cheating first – “ 

“Hey!” Coach yelled up at them impatiently, “Can you take your lovers quarrel down the wall so somebody else can take their turn?” 

“Sorry, Coach!” they called down simultaneously, Isaac eyeing her up with interest as he grinned. 

“Race you down?” 

“Sure,” Vanessa drawled, before leaning over so she was right next to him and whispering in his ear, “But just so you know, baby, I **always** win.” 

She pulled his ear lobe gently between her teeth, relishing in the sharp hitch in his breathe and the blood rushing to his cheeks before pulling back quickly and kicking off the wall. Falling back had never felt so good as she watched the boy breathing heavily against the wall, tingles running down his neck to the bottom of his spine from the way her breathe warmed his neck to the feeling of her teeth - 

The girl was now on the ground, unfastening her harness and smirking to herself as she headed over to Erica. 

“There are some things that I feel genuinely uncomfortable overhearing,” the blonde began, eyes on the boy slowly coming down the wall, “And then there was _**that**_.” 

“Which was?” 

“Can you do it again please? One more time?” 

“Don’t worry, sweetie,” Vanessa patted her shoulder, grinning across at the boy who finally made it down and was glaring at her with promise in his eyes, “There’s more where that came from.” 

\- 

Darting out early to avoid whatever sick revenge plan that Isaac came up with, Erica and Vanessa ran up to the roof to meet Allison before any of the teachers could stop them. Sure, Gerard had cameras at every entrance but if he couldn’t catch them in the act than there was nothing he could punish them for. 

Or at least, that was the logic she was going to use to reassure everyone else. Scott would call it lying. Stiles would call it twisting the truth. Vanessa would reluctantly admit that it was twisting the truth until it was a lie but since the boys weren’t around to call her out on her bullshit, she had to have this little exchange in her head while waiting for the dark haired girl to catch up to them. 

_I really do need to talk to the counsellor, don’t I?_

The doors opened and Allison crept out, checking behind her to see if she was being followed before turning to the other two girls with an arched brow as she said, “Okay, now I **really** want to know what this is all about.” 

“Sorry about the cloak and dagger stuff,” Vanessa shrugged apologetically, “It’s probably not necessary but I need to be cautious, now more than ever.” 

“Now you have me worried,” the dark haired girl stated as she approached them, “What’s going on?” 

_Sorry, Scotty but some people can be lied to and some people can't. Allison is the latter._

“Look, something happened Tuesday night you need to know about,” the short brunette started, laying a hand gently on her friend’s shoulder as she said, “You know that I would never lie to you. I might have kept Scott being a werewolf a secret but I tried to be honest through the whole thing. And if there’s one thing I hate lying about to anyone, it’s family.” 

“I’m confused.” 

“On Tuesday night, after me, Stiles and Derek were attacked by the kanima, I was injured and needed to be taken to the hospital. Scott took me and – “ 

“ _Oh God_ , did you and Scott – “ 

“Huh?” Vanessa scrunched her face up in confusion at the horror that spread across Allison’s face before realizing the girl’s train of though and simultaneously gagging in response, “ **EW, NO!** He’s my fucking _brother_ , Allie! **Jesus Fucking Christ!** ” 

The relief was palpable as the dark-haired girl gripped her chest, the tension loosening in her shoulders when she breathed out, “Oh thank God!” 

“What the **fuck** is wrong with you?” the brunette scrutinized the other girl in disgust, “ _Oh my God, **no!**_ Ah now I can’t get the cursed images out of my head. That’s like _Alabama_ kind of sick, man!” 

“I’m sorry, I just thought – “ 

“You thought fucking in the _**Bermuda Triangle!**_ ” 

Erica’s laughter served as a backing track for the worst assumption ever made about the brunette in her life as the girl tried to get back on track while looking like she sucked on a lemon as a child and was never able to look the same way again. 

“Moving on,” Vanessa rolled her eyes, swallowing back the bile in her throat as she continued, “Look, Scott was **attacked**. By your grandfather, Allison. Gerard knows about Scott being a werewolf.” 

“Are you sure?!” Allison’s eyes widened in distress. 

“If the knife hilt deep in Scott’s stomach was anything to go by than yes, I’m sure.” 

“ **No, no, no, no, no.** What are we going to do?” 

“ _You’re_ ,” the brunette began as she placed two hands on the taller girl’s shoulders, “going to help the others solve this kanima business and pretend like you have no clue anything has changed. I’m never gonna ask you to actively betray your family – _**never**_. This way you can still help us out by dealing with one problem while me and Scott help prevent another one from occurring.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Allie, why do you think Scott is still alive? Gerard wants something from him, and he is that desperate that he would go against his so-called declaration of war to get it. He is so desperate that he would stab Scott in the middle of a public place just to intimidate the boy. He is so desperate that he threatened to do the same to **me** if Scott didn’t comply.” 

“But he can’t! You’re human – “ 

“ _ **Gerard doesn’t care, Allison!**_ ” Vanessa exclaimed, causing her friends to flinch at the sudden outburst, “He doesn’t care about the code. He doesn’t care about humans or werewolves. I bet you that declaration of war was a front of why he’s really here. And we need Scott to be the inside guy on this!” 

“Why Scott? Why can’t it be me?” the girl argued back, frowning at the idea. 

The brunette sighed, “Come on, Allie. He won’t believe you'd ever turn against your friends for him. You’re too noble, too courageous, too independent to ever do that. Scott is a boy that has a lot of leverage against him, you being one of them. While Gerard could never kill his own granddaughter, he could have me and Stiles killed like it was **nothing**. Make it look like an animal attack or a freak accident. He could have you shipped off to Europe and nobody would know.” 

Vanessa pulled back, running a hand through her hair in regret as she said, “He offered Scott an in. Therefore, it **must** be Scott who accepts it. He already threatened to kill me if Scott wasn’t gonna comply or if he was to go tell others. I had to make it look like I didn’t know what it was about and that Scott was keeping up his end of the deal by not telling me. Of course, our resident werewolves knew something was up straight away but if there are already rumors about it, everyone else believed it. We just have to keep selling it.” 

“But why?” 

“So that Gerard doesn’t suspect me of being Scott’s liaison,” the brunette replied. 

“Liaison with who?” Allison asked cautiously, brows furrowing as she watched the other girl warily. 

Vanessa turned to her with a seemingly surprised expression as she stated, “Well, all of you, of course!” 

The girls spent the entire break going over the details, the basics being ‘ _act the shit out of your home life and hope for the best_ ’. It took a while for the dark-haired girl to agree, not wanting the group dynamic to be disrupted by her ‘ _psychotic grandfather_ ’ but after affirming several times that Vanessa **_did not want a fucking knife in the stomach_** , Allison relented on the condition that they would still hang out and that Vanessa wouldn’t keep anything from her that she thought would be too ‘ _sensitive_ ’. 

Her friend wasn’t actually supposed to know anything. Vanessa had told Scott that she would on explain that the two weren’t actually fighting and she had supported that decision until she remembered something. It was that morning after Peter had trapped her friends inside the school and Scott was lying to them the whole time. Allison came over the next day and told her how she wasn’t scared of the thing that chased them. She was scared of Scott lying about it the whole time. She was scared of Scott not staying and holding her. That was the reason the dark-haired girl had broken up with him and Vanessa didn’t want to see her two friends go through that same doubt and mistrust, knowing that it would just wreck them both – _**especially**_ Scott. 

_If he didn’t want a repeat of last time, he had to trust that Allison could handle everything that would be thrown at her - **especially** if it had the ability to destroy her._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter and I will update the next one soon.  
> A few things:  
> \- What did you guys like? What did you hate? What did you find interesting?  
> \- Anyone else feel like Vanessa's plan is just tad bit dramatic and unnecessary?  
> \- What did you think about Erica's mini conflict? Did anyone hate the scene? What did you think about it?]  
> \- If Scott and Allison break up for good, who would you ship them with? An original character or one of the canon characters? I'm curious. Not that I'd break them up for good (or that I would spoil such a thing) I'm just curious about your thoughts. I'm still deciding on how I want their relationship to go.


	14. Put It To The Test (The First One Lydia Martin Fails)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac and Vanessa continue their challenge during Economics.  
> Lydia experiences strange phenonomes that has nothing to do with her genius IQ.  
> The Hale Pack test Lydia during Chem, Vanessa comes up with a theory and a plan, and Stiles almost kills Scott.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everybody enjoys this chapter x Please let me know what you think!

Erica’s head cocked slightly, brown eyes rolling in annoyance as she announced that it was time for Economics. The girls packed up their stuff before making their way down to the second floor, peering out from the door to check to see if anyone was coming before inching their way out and down the hall towards the classroom. When they arrived, half the class had taken their seats. Scott and Stiles were on one side with – _surprisingly_ – Jackson, while on the other side Boyd and Isaac lounged back in their seats. Lydia was in the middle of the classroom in the back row, oblivious to the fact she was surrounded by wolves. **Literally.**

“I’m going to sit next to Lydia,” Allison announced, coming to the same conclusion as the short brunette beside her and heading for the spare seat between Jackson and the red head. 

Vanessa jerked her head at Erica, the girls heading for the last two seats at the back. The blonde took the one behind Isaac in the far-left corner while Vanessa took the one next to her, effectively covering Lydia’s left side. She wasn’t quiet sure who they were protecting in this situation, the pretty strawberry blonde who was humming to herself as she started on next lesson’s work – _having already completed this lessons the week before hand, per usual_ – or the rest of the oblivious teens who had no clue about the dangerous creatures sitting in the back of their classroom. Well, dangerous creatures and the three badass humans. 

_Just wait, Stiles is gonna punch someone any day now and it’s a never-ending coin toss between Jackson and Derek._

As Coach started on the lesson, a note appeared on her desk. Arching a brow at the blonde next to her, she watched as Erica jerked her head to the boy in front of her with a knowing smile. Vanessa rolled her eyes before unfolding the piece of paper, secretly eager to see what it would say. 

**_You know you’re a cheater right. What you pulled in Gym was a dirty move._**

The girl laughed to herself before writing a note back to him, sliding it over to Erica and watching him intently as he read over it. 

**_Wanna see some more? All you have to do is ask 😉_**

Isaac blinked at the paper lying in front of him, leaning back and glancing at the girl who wrote it with a smirk. She didn’t disappoint, giving him a naughty wink before returning her attention to the board. He shook his head at her in amusement before crafting his own reply, holding it behind him for Erica to grab before throwing up his hand to get Coach's attention. 

“Lahey, what is it?” 

“Can I go to the bathroom?” 

The man jerked his head back, giving him an incredulous look before his attention caught on a discussion going on between Scott, Jackson and Stiles on the other side of the room and decided that breaking up that little trio was going to be even more amusing than torturing Isaac. 

“Be back in ten minutes or you’re doing suicide runs at practice.” 

The boy nodded, liking those terms. Suicide runs didn’t faze him anymore and he’d definently need more than ten minutes for what he had in mind. Isaac got up and headed to the door, glancing back to watch as Vanessa lifted her head up from reading his note with a look of surprise. 

_Meet me outside in five minutes._

He gave her a little smile – _that drove her crazy, by God, did he drive her crazy!_ – and disappeared around the corner as she sat their gaping at him like a fucking goldfish. 

Slamming his note down on the table, her hand shot up quick as Coach returned to the front of the room after yelling at the three boys in the back corner, brows lifting in surprise when he saw her waving her hand at him like a crazy person. 

“Yes, O’Connor, what do **you** want?” 

“Can I go to the bathroom?” 

“Can you wait?” 

Vanessa bit her lip to restrain the smirk fighting to free itself on her face before drawling. 

“If you don’t mind your classroom looking like a crime scene in a few minutes, then sure. I can wait.” 

The man’s face scrunched up in horror, eyes lit up with realization as he gasped out, “Oh god, leave **now**. Get, get! Oh, that makes _so_ much sense now.” 

Her shoulders shook with silent laughter as she jogged out of the classroom, hearing groans and mutters following her out from a few people – namely Coach, who was sitting on his desk and clutching his head as if he was in physical pain – but she could have sworn Stiles muttered something like, “God can’t save us now.” 

She closed the door behind her, rolling her eyes at the last comment before turning her attention to the seemingly empty hall. 

She knew he was there somewhere, waiting, listening to her heart beating fast in anticipation as she walked down the hall. She tried to listen out for anything that might help her find him before he could find her, but it was silent. _Fucking werewolves and their stealthy ways._

An idea hit her, causing her to spin on her heel in the direction of the locker rooms, knowing that they would be empty at this time of the day, and closed the door behind her. She hid quickly inside Coach’s office and waited. A few seconds later, the door opened as Isaac crept in, having tracked the girl by scent. His eyes scoured the room before snagging on the slightly ajar door that led to the room adjacent and smirked. 

“You think I’m gonna let you jump me in there?” he called out, smiling as the brunette peered around the corner at him, blue eyes twinkling in mischief. 

“I was hoping,” she admitted, leaning against the doorway, and shooting him a come-hither look, “But this way you know exactly what you’re walking into.” 

The girl grinned at that, stepping back, and disappearing into the office with her silent beckon ringing in the air between them both, a beckon that Isaac followed eagerly. It was dark, the shades pulled down so that they wouldn’t be seen from the hall or the locker room. Isaac let his wolf come forth, golden eyes flickering to light and fixing on Vanessa with a predatory intensity that made her almost regret challenging him like this. _Almost._

He could see her smirk in the darkness, ankles crossed as she leaned back on her hands. 

“Are you gonna keep enjoying the view or are you gonna make a move anytime soon?” her voice rang out, amusement coloring her sultry tone as she adjusted herself on the hard wooden desk, her skirt riding up her thighs and taunting him. 

A growl rumbled through the room, sending goosebumps erupting all over her body as two hands settled on her knees, the boy between them leaning down and capturing her lips to silence the words that she liked to fling at him in challenge, in temptation and in victory. He swallowed that soft flirtatious teasing that had been threatening to drive him insane all day. He cupped the back of her knees and brought her to him, one leg wrapping around his waist and the other around his leg as he consumed her for all that she was willing to offer. 

Her lips fought back with equal ferocity, a build up of all the silent promises they had been exchanging and the heat they had already felt for each other now with a willing outlet right in front of them. She let out a breathy moan as he pulled away, lips sweeping down her jaw to her neck as he traced the hollow of her throat with his tongue. Fingers slid through dark blonde curls, pulling at the tresses in retaliation for the small nibbles on her flesh as the boy moved to her leather clad shoulders before stopping for permission. 

“Can I?” he murmured quietly, voice strained as he fingered the clothing with both lust and derision. 

She nodded, knowing he would be able to see her and watched as he slid the jacket off of her and revealed the lacy top she had been hiding underneath. 

“This is a uniform violation, you know?” Isaac breathed out as his fingers traced the lace trimming at her abdomen, eyes drifting to the cleavage that no one would be able to see but him. _Night vision and all._

Vanessa giggled, surprised at the comment before pulling him close so that they reminisced Gym class as she whispered in his ear again, “Baby, I’m a walking uniform violation. Appreciate it while it lasts.” 

His answering chuckle was dark and full of agreement as his mouth lunged for her throat, sending hot, open mouthed kissed all the way down to her collarbone as she writhed in his arms. 

Those little noises that she was making ate at the restraint he held, each one making his fingers clench around her tight – clothed thighs. He darted back up, silencing her moans by feasting on her lips, wandering hands sliding up her skirt to cup her ass. Vanessa wrapped her arms around his neck, tongue sliding past his lips to greet his as he picked her up and laid her down on the table. 

His hands squeezed at her as he grinded against her, sending heat to her stomach. She had never felt this kind of wanting in her life, this need to have him against her. Her hand found itself fisted in his shirt while the other pushed at his own leather jacket with an urgency that made the boy chuckle breathlessly. His heart beat fast against her own, nervous about all the ways he could be found lacking. Despite the newfound bravo he presented and the wicked smirks he gave her, his own knowledge of this wanton feeling that captured them both was as lacking as the girl who was under him. They both had no clue what they were doing, running on pure instinct, and hoping for the best. 

And it struck them at that point that they had no clue how far the other person was willing to take it. 

Isaac was the one who pulled back first, breathing heavily against her ear as he held his weight of her. Vanessa could feel his warmth, his **need** through the layers he still wore but also the way her own need tried to drive her to pull him back. It was addictive, this feeling he inspired within her and she wanted it back with an eagerness that _frightened_ her. Not the boy, for he could never frighten her but the feeling of being so out of control with her emotions, with her body. 

“That was – “ she tried to say the words, but they got stuck in her throat. 

“ ** _Heavenly_** ,” his lips mouthed against her as he nuzzled her throat, inhaling her there before straightening up, “Was that okay?” 

Vanessa nodded, laughing breathlessly as she said, “That was more than okay. I just think we need to – “ 

“Slow down? Talk about it?” 

“Yeah.” 

They were silent except for their heavy pants as they tried to compose themselves before Vanessa spoke up again. 

“Did you maybe want to talk about it later? Maybe at my house?” 

“After the whole kanima thing?” he clarified, eyes wide as he nodded at her, “Yeah, I’ll be there.” 

“Cool,” she nodded. 

It went silent again before they both burst out laughing, Vanessa almost stumbling off the desk when she tried to go to him and Isaac catching her in time before she fell over herself. 

“Maybe turn on the light?” Isaac suggested, helping her up and keeping a steady grip on her as he wandered over to the switch at the wall. 

Vanessa blinked erratically, trying to adjust to the brightness while the boy watched her sheepishly, eyeing her neck and the evidence of their tryst. He walked over to the desk to retrieve her leather jacket as her vision stabilized and she could finally see properly again. She noticed how Isaac’s curls were mussed in a way that made him look even sexier than before – _wow, because that was **really** what they needed right now_ – but also saw the way his deep-set blue eyes darted to her neck. 

“What?” she asked, frowning as she saw him gesture at his own neck. 

“You might want to look in the mirror. It seems like I went a bit overboard.” 

The girl’s eyes widened as she darted to the nearest mirror in the locker room and groaning out, “Oh God!” 

“It’s not that bad!” the boy insisted, hurrying to reassure her as he came to stand behind her. 

She fixed him with an incredulous look, her hand reaching up to hover over the markings he left on her throat. Rose colored blemishes bloomed over the left side of her neck, spreading to her shoulders and collarbone. As far as she could tell, they were small, little love bites that would probably fade away in a day or two which meant the leather jacket had to stay on. And she might need to invest in scarves for the time being. And probably for the foreseeable future if this was to become a habit. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that I'd leave so many,” Isaac murmured, lashes lowered apologetically as he fidgeted with the hem of his jacket. 

Vanessa softened at his regret, inwardly rolling her eyes at herself for being such a drama queen before spinning around and placing a quick, chaste kiss on his lips with a smile, “It’s fine. I’m overreacting. It’s nothing that some makeup and some crafty styling won’t fix. Besides, I kind of liked it” 

He swallowed hard at the wink she sent him, stammering out with an uncertain smile, “You did?” 

The girl moved close, wrapping her arms around his waist as she whispered, “I _loved_ it.” 

Isaac nodded at her, eyes wide and smile wider as he whispered back, “Noted.” 

The two teenagers prepared themselves for the questions and Coach’s little brand of humiliation – **much** preferred to in opposed to the kind Harris dished out – but found that they didn’t have to brace themselves as they had thought. 

Instead, the two walked into the classroom to find Lydia Martin at the front of the room with a stick of chalk in her hand, sobbing hard while the Coach tried to snap her out of it. It took some time before she came back to reality, eyes widening and brows furrowing as her eyes darted around in confusion. The teacher made a few jokes, turning back to the rest of the class to try his luck at finding someone who'd be able to answer the question _without_ having a mental breakdown. 

Vanessa and Isaac exchanged wide eye glanced, her’s in concerns while his set in grim knowing as they turned to study the girl who was being led towards them by Allison. 

“What the hell happened?” the short brunette hissed, moving out of their way so that they could get through the door. 

“Not now, Ness,” Allison murmured, brows furrowed in wary concern as she gingerly slid a hand around Lydia’s waist to lead her along. 

Vanessa turned to Isaac, jerking her head to his seat and said, “You go ahead. I’m going to make sure everything's okay. I’ll meet you after?” 

He nodded, squeezing her hand reassuringly before letting go to walk back into class while his girlfriend spun on her heel and jogged after the two girls heading to the nurse's office. She caught up to them just before they went in, holding the door open so that Allison didn’t have to juggle with the semi-catatonic girl in her arms. Vanessa followed them in, crouching in front of where the dark-haired girl sat their friend down and slipped her hand slowly into Lydia’s, watching her green eyes gaze at a blank space on the wall. 

“What the hell happened?” Vanessa repeated to Allison in a whisper, who took to standing beside them while they waited for the school nurse to come back from her lunch break. 

The girl shook her head, “I don’t know. One minute, she’s going up to answer Coach’s problem on the board and then halfway there she just – I don’t know – breaks? She started scribbling these words and turned around with – “ 

“With what?” 

Allison glanced down at the girl sitting next to them, torn about what she witnessed as she mumbled, “She was scared, Nessa. So scared. She just looked at us and started wailing and I don’t know why! Nothing happened!” 

Vanessa took her hand, tightening her grip to get her attention as she directed, “Okay, Allie, it’s going to be okay. We just need to help Lydia out, okay? I don’t think she knew what she was doing, and her brain hasn’t quite processed it yet. We need to help her process it, okay?” 

The dark-haired girl nodded, taking a seat beside the strawberry blonde as Vanessa turned to the girl and started in a gentle voice, “Lydia, can you hear me?” 

The girl nodded, stray tears trailing down her cheeks as she murmured, “I don’t know what happened.” 

“What do you remember?” 

“A man,” her voice wavered in fear, “The same man who attacked me.” 

“The night of the formal?” Allison’s eyes widened, sending Vanessa a panicked look before the girl rushed to correct their friend, “Lydia, you were attacked by an an-“ 

“Lydia, what else do you remember? What did this man do?” the short brunette interrupted, holding a hand up in front of Allison to stop her from replaying the same thing the police had been drilling into the girl for the past few weeks. 

Lydia might pretend to be as dumb as a doorbell, but everybody should’ve known better by now. The girl was a genius, her knowledge rivalled only by her levels of perception. The girl knew deep down what was happening in the town, she just didn’t want to accept it. Vanessa noticed, that although the smartest people might have questions about the strange happenings that went on with their town, these people would eventually move on or forget about it, reasoning the strangeness away with some mundane excuse that made almost as much sense as the events they were trying to reason. Meaning that the power of denial was stronger than anyone gave it credit for. 

Vanessa knew it was only a matter of time before the trauma of that night came creeping up on the strawberry blonde, but she did not expect her to have such a volatile reaction. As much as it sent dread into her heart, this only proved there was something other about Lydia Martin. Be it that the girl was a kanima who was out killing random people or if she was something else, it was abruptly clear that Lydia was no longer human. At least, not completely human. 

Why the hell the girl was seeing Peter Hale in the middle of class though, was beyond her. 

“He-he threw a desk,” Lydia whimpered out, shutting her eyes as if reliving the horror, “He threw the desk and he-he came at me and I didn’t know where to run, where to go. Everybody else was just staring at me like _I_ was the freak and he was so close, **too** close. He was right in front of me and nobody saw him! And his teeth – Oh God! I’m going crazy! I had an actual psychotic break, _oh my fucking God!_ " 

The two girls gaped at her as she started hyperventilating, fanning at herself with wide, terrified eyes as she tried to talk but only wheezed out a few words before that too stopped. Vanessa lunged at her, gripping the girl’s wrist with one hand while she squeezed her shoulder with the other. 

“ **Lydia!** ” she barked, watching as the girl tried to wrench herself away from her before trying again, “Lydia! Oi, _calm down_!” 

In between her gasped breaths, green eyes flashed in outrage as if to say, _Easier said than done!_

And that was all she needed to know. 

Vanessa squeezed the girl’s wrist tightly as she brought it to hover over her chest, “You’re _hyperventilating_ , Lydia. You need to calm down before you pass out or go into shock. Okay, now put your hand on your chest and listen to my voice, can you do that?” 

Lydia managed to look unimpressed even in the midst of a breakdown but complied anyway, pressing her hand into her chest as she gasped for air. The brunette in front of her gave a nod of approval before leaning forward, “Okay, now what I want you to do is focus on your breathing. Forget about what happened, you’re **safe** with me and Allison. You’re in the nurse’s office and you’re **not** going back to that room. So, breathe for me, okay? Take a deep breath in and hold it before releasing it.” 

The strawberry blonde did as she was told, not before sending the girl in front of her a glare as if to say _That’s the best advice you could give, how cliché!_

But it worked as her breathe started shuddering to the point where she could actually take control, eyes glued on her hand on her chest as she listened to the air leave her lungs, only to return seconds later. Her heartbeat thrummed against her chest, loud and strong but slowing with every minute passing as she came down from her panic. It was a strange sensation, the panic she felt. Usually in times of great distress, she would just take a few pills and they would knock her out as good as that but not this time. The girl wouldn’t claim that she had a panic attack, she liked to think she knew better than to get irrationally scared, but she couldn’t deny that she was rattled. 

And that she had to show such weakness in front of the two girls - 

Vanessa saw this, this resentment building up inside the strawberry blonde, and decided against coddling the girl, knowing she would not appreciate it in the least. The short brunette released a heavy sigh before standing up, fingers slipping off the girl’s shoulder as she turned to Allison, leaning in to whisper. 

“The bell is about to ring so I’m gonna head back and get my stuff. Also, there’s something going down in Chemistry so if you want the 411, get Erica to fill you in. Just know, nobody will be getting hurt and don’t listen to Scott and Stiles dramatize the shit out of it.” 

She waited for the taller girl’s nod before making her way out and back to Econ where the rest of the class was heading out. Isaac was with Erica and Boyd, deep in discussion about what she presumed to be the plan before he spotted her. She smiled gratefully when she saw him hold up her bag and went to join the group, watching Scott and Stiles shoot the werewolves suspicious looks as they headed to Chemistry. 

“Those two know what’s going down,” she stated, slinging her bag over her shoulder as she turned to them, “Jackson must’ve told him. He was sitting behind them in class and they were all uncharacteristically chatty.” 

“How the hell would Jackson know?” Erica asked, a hand on her hip as she considered said boy walking out of the class with a vicious stare. 

“We passed him on our way to your locker,” Vanessa informed the girl, trying to draw the blonde’s attention away from the lacrosse player she was death staring before continuing, “Have no clue how he heard our conversation though, because we weren’t even near him when you guys told me what was happening.” 

She had her theories, of course, but she didn’t want to share them quite yes. If things went the way she predicted, she would get them confirmed soon enough. Probably by midnight tonight if she was lucky. 

_Or unlucky, depending on how you looked at it._

The bell rang for fifth period, Vanessa sighing deeply to herself before going up on her tippy toes to give the tall boy beside her a kiss on the cheek, smiling gently to him before turning to Erica with a knowing look as she reminded them, “Remember, test and _**observe**_. Do **not** do anything more. I made a deal with Derek and I'm making sure he sticks with it.” 

“Relax, girl,” the blonde waved her off, getting to her feet and stretching, “Truth be told, I wasn’t a fan of the plan in the first place. I like yours better.” 

“Good to know.” 

The two teenagers sent her reassuring smiles – so sickeningly innocent that they morphed into mischievous smirks right in front of her eyes – before continuing down the hall. Vanessa turned to Boyd, his eyes glued to the blonde sashaying away with a skip in her step. The brunette arched a brow at him with an amused grin before he noticed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

“What?” he said defensively, frowning down at the girl. 

“Nothing!” Vanessa threw her hands up in surrender, still smiling, “Just wondering if you wanted to enjoy the show from here or if you wanted to find somewhere else to watch the chaos go down?” 

Boyd’s lips twitched at her monotone voice before jerking his head at her, turning towards the direction of the car park as he told her over his shoulder, “Derek will be here in a few minutes. We can go watch with him.” 

She rubbed her hands together in false enthusiasm before following him out into the afternoon, leaning against the railings as they waited for the Alpha to get there. She still wasn’t sure about the plan, knowing that Scott and Stiles would absolutely hate anything that seemed even slightly threatening to Lydia but they would eventually realize – hopefully through Allison, if Erica told it right – that the agreement Vanessa came up with Derek was better than the previous one the three werewolves were going to go with. 

The silver Camaro pulled up a few minutes into fifth, Boyd and Vanessa having spent that time betting who would manage to piss off Stiles and Scott first. Boyd had his money on Isaac, and despite wanting to defend her boyfriend to the ends of the Earth, she found herself having five bucks riding on him taunting Stiles. He had developed a sort of sarcasm and humor that Vanessa could imagine getting on her best friend’s nerves, as he fancied himself on his ability to use sarcasm as his weapon. Stiles just might meet his match when it came to Isaac, but the girl liked to imagine that she had made a worthy opponent over the years, having bested her friend a number of times in their never-ending battle of wits. 

Vanessa sauntered up to the dark-haired man who jumped out of the car, pulling him aside as she informed him of the theory she had been playing around with earlier, “I need to know something. I’m assuming that if Isaac took the time to get Jackson to retract his statement, that meant you also had the time to test him, right?” 

“Right.” 

“Well, is the test actually a proven theory?” Vanessa asked, cocking her head as she considered the science lab, “Like, are kanimas actually immune to their own toxin? Have you considered if it’s different for them in their human form?” 

“No. Packs tend to avoid other creatures, especially ones with a darker nature such as the kanima, therefore we only have rumors to go off by. I thought that since it shared the same characteristics as snakes, that it would go by the same kind of rules.” 

“What happened to Jackson after you turned him?” she questioned, crossing her arms over her chest, “You would have dragged him to the Den kicking and screaming by now if something didn’t go wrong, Derek. So, I’m asking you right now. What’s wrong with Jackson?” 

“What makes you think there’s something wrong?” Derek frowned, turning away from her to stare at the building before him, “Maybe I took your advice and decided to respect someone’s choices for once.” 

Vanessa scoffed, rolling her eyes at his lame evasion, “I would **love** to believe you actually listen to everything I say, but I know you don’t. Besides, you would never leave a new Beta running around unchecked. So, tell me, what’s wrong with him?” 

“His body rejected the bite.” 

“What?!” the girl asked, frowning up at him, “What do you mean ‘ _rejected_ ’ the bite?” 

“When someone is bitten, there is always a chance that they might not survive their transformation. If their body can’t adapt to the bite than it’s natural defense system will automatically fight off the infection. If in the end, the body succumbs to the infection, the person will die,” Derek explained, leaning against his car with his hands shoved into his pockets as he looked everywhere but at the gaping girl beside him. 

“And you didn’t think to tell me?!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up, “Of course you didn’t! I wouldn’t knowingly risk my friend’s lives if I knew!” 

“You were always risking their lives, Nessa!” 

“Yeah, when I thought that **hunters** were the risk. They're something you can actually **_fight off!_** A magical infection that transforms people into werewolves, on the other hand? _Not so much_.” 

“Well, it all worked out well in the end, didn’t it?” Derek spat at her, gesturing wildly to the school, “Your friends are free and happy.” 

“I admit, you have me there,” Vanessa nodded before moving back to her original point, “But Jackson _should_ be dead, is what you’re trying to tell me? So, by all logic, he should not be able to hear conversations from the other end of the hall nor should he be fucking _alive_ and _**breathing!**_ ” 

“Wait, what?” Derek whipped his head towards her with a frown, “How's that possible? He shouldn’t be able to have any powers.” 

“Well, he does,” she pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest, “And he used them to eavesdrop on my conversation with your Betas, so he knows what’s going down right now. And he told Scott and Stiles. He told Scott and Stiles the plan _you_ made.” 

“They have no clue about our agreement?” 

“Not unless Allison was able to warn them in time.” 

“Guys,” Boyd spoke up, pulling their attention away from their conversation and back towards the lab, “They just tested her. Lydia’s immune.” 

She watched as Derek stared at the classroom with predatory intent before grabbing his arm urgently, “Just because she's immune, doesn’t mean she’s the kanima. But I know how we _can_ find who it is.” 

“What do you mean?!” he exclaimed, shaking his head at her in ridicule, “It’s _clearly_ her.” 

“Look, what happens if Lydia is immune to any supernatural infliction?” Vanessa suggested desperately, “What if her body’s immune system is, like, a hyper one and can fight off any supernatural infection or threat? It doesn’t mean she’s human, but it doesn’t have to mean she’s the kanima!” 

“You’re just full of bright ideas today, aren’t you?” Derek muttered, rolling his eyes before turning to her expectantly, “What exactly are you suggesting, Vanessa?” 

“If you’re so stuck on Lydia being the kanima, then it’s up to me to also suggest another person. Jackson has also showed immunity to a supernatural infliction and hints of enhanced hearing which means his body didn’t reject the bite as you once thought. Maybe, just maybe, it changed him into something else.” 

They turned back to the building as the bell rang to signal the end of school before Vanessa quickly directed him, “Meet me at the front of Scott’s house. If I know them, they’ll want to take her to a safe place where they can bar you guys out. I’ll try to talk to them but don’t make your move without me!” 

The girl sprinted towards the entrance, heaving the doors open and instantly dodging the mass of students that hurried towards her so that they could get the hell out of dodge. She spied Scott, Stiles and Allison going in the other direction while Jackson pulled Lydia over to her locker, the strawberry blonde complaining about his manhandling. Isaac and Erica caught her looking around and made a beeline over to her. 

“It’s her,” Isaac said, jerking his head back at Lydia, “She’s immune.” 

“Derek’s at the front. He’ll let you in on the plan.” 

“There’s another plan?” Erica asked incredulously, laughing to herself. 

“Like I said, Derek will explain.” 

With that, she slid around the two gaping teenagers to follow where her other friends went. She came across them heading into Coach’s office and caught the door before they could shut it. 

“You _really_ thought you were gonna have some team huddle and **not** invite me?!” she drawled, slipping in and coming to stand in the middle while Scott shook his head at her. 

“Derek’s outside waiting for Lydia,” he told them in a grave tone. 

“What do you guys know about what went down just then?” Vanessa asked, leaning against the desk with her hands clasped in front of her. 

“Just what you told Erica to tell me,” Allison explained, ignoring the two betrayed looks the boys were sending the girls, “That Derek needed to confirm that it was Lydia so that they could track her down and incapacitate her. Erica told me that you made some sort of deal with him right?” 

Vanessa nodded towards her, about to explain when Stiles cut in with a humorless laugh, “Has nobody heard the phrase ‘ _make a deal with the devil’_? _**Come on**_ , Ness, you really think **Derek** , of all people, will pass a chance to off someone?” 

“If you’d just shut up and listen to me, I could explain why he agreed to my plan.” 

“Which is?” 

“I told him that if she turns tonight, he can take his pack and track her down. He will incapacitate her before she tries to kill anyone else and they will keep her captive until they find away to cure her.” 

“I sense a huge but coming up,” Stiles muttered to himself. 

She grimaced slightly at that before continuing, “If we can’t stop her from killing anyone, we have no choice but to...….put a stop to the problem.” 

“Put a stop to the **problem**?” Stiles repeated incredulously, blinking at her erratically before yelling, “ **She’s not the kanima!** " 

“Did she pass the test?” Vanessa responded, arching a brow at him when he looked away sheepishly. 

“So _what?_ ” he threw back, throwing his arms up in exasperation, “Lydia can’t **always** pass tests, contrary to popular belief. She’s a genius with a killer immune system. Even geniuses need to dumb it down to make things interesting. Is that a crime?” 

“ **IF SHE’S KILLING PEOPLE, THEN YES!** ” 

“Alright, everybody just calm down,” Allison jumped in, holding out her hands in between the two before pointing out, “Look, if Derek’s planning to ask questions first before offing her, than I say we go with that plan because as far as I can tell, it’s a hell of a lot better than the one he had before. Nessa did the only thing she could and we need to take advantage of it.” 

“Allison’s right,” Scott interjected, nodding at the girl before fixing the short brunette with a look, “But so is Stiles. Considering Derek’s track record, I don’t trust anything he says. While I’m willing to go along with the plan, I’m not willing to let him anywhere near Lydia _until_ she changes.” 

Stiles went to protest before the other boy halted him with a look as he continued, “- That way we know for sure she’s the kanima.” 

“It’s _not_ her!” 

“Stiles, she didn’t pass the test!” 

“No, it _can’t_ be **her**.” 

“It could be someone else though,” Vanessa murmured, flashing a grim smile as all heads turned to her with a mix of shock and confused expressions, “I’m not one hundred percent sure Jackson is ruled out either.” 

“It can’t be him. He passed; he was paralyzed.” 

“Yet, he somehow has supernaturally enhanced hearing. I don’t know about you but that sounds a little suspicious to me. He has the powers of a werewolf and yet he wasn’t seen out on the full moon. Or was he?” 

Allison and Scott looked hesitant to consider this, but Stiles jumped right on board, pointing his finger eagerly at the short girl beside him as he exclaimed, “Yes, yes, yes! I can _definently_ see Jackson ripping people apart in his spare time. God, that makes _so_ much sense.” 

“I’m not certain about either one of those theories,” Scott pointed out, unconvinced by their reasoning. 

“Good thing I have a plan,” Vanessa announced, smirking at her two best friends when they blanched in dread. 

“I hate your plans,” Stiles groaned, rubbing at his face with reluctance. 

“Only because they work, unlike yours,” she retorted, snorting when he sneered at her. 

“Oh, _shut up_ and let’s hear it!” 

“We bunker down in Scott’s house and wait until Lydia or Jackson changes.” 

“ _That’s_ your big plan?!” the boy with buzz cut shouted, “Lock ourselves in a house with two _possibly_ **murderous** were-creatures?!” 

“What happens if they don’t change while they’re at the house?” Scott asked, brows furrowed as he pointed out the flaws in her plan, “What happens if we let them go and one of them changes later on?” 

“ **I don’t know!** ” Vanessa threw her hands up, voice frayed with desperation, “It’s the best plan I could come up with that doesn’t include watching our friend’s throats ripped out! It probably will come to that sooner or later, if Derek has his way!” 

“ **Like hell it will!** ” Stiles bellowed, preparing to storm out the door to protect the girl he loved before Scott grabbed him by the shoulder. 

“ **Everybody shut up!** ” the other boy demanded, waiting until the two stopped yelling to continue, turning to Allison with a tired look on his face as he asked, “Is there anything in the Bestiary that might tell us how the change is triggered? That might tell us the symptoms or something like that?” 

“Oh, you mean the nine-hundred-page book written in Archaic Latin that none of us can read?” Stiles spat out, running a hand through his buzzed hair as he took deep breaths to calm himself down, “Good luck with that.” 

Scott’s head dropped; shoulders slouched as they all tried to figure out a plan before Allison spoke up quietly. 

“Actually, I _think_ I know someone who might be able to translate it.” 

“Alright,” the shorter of the two girls nodded eagerly, hope dancing around in her eyes as she smiled, “We have a plan.” 

“If it doesn’t work though, I need you guys to let me handle it,” Scott insisted. 

Allison frowned up at him as she asked, “What does _that_ mean?” 

“It means you can’t heal like I do. I don’t want you getting hurt.” 

Vanessa rolled her eyes, settling back to watch as Allison searched through her bag, whipping out her crossbow before standing up to face her boyfriend with a determined set in her dark eyes as she told him, “I can protect myself.” 

Stiles and Vanessa nodded in approval, stepping backwards as if to give the boss lady her space. 

Something flashed in Scott’s eyes though, a fear that that Vanessa couldn’t quite place until she remembered. 

_“You’re going to double cross the mother-fucker. Get in on this plan of his, agree to anything and come back to me about it. Only to me. Not to Stiles, not to Allison, not to anybody else. Stiles has to pretend to know nothing about Gerard knowing, Allison already knows nothing about Gerard knowing. The only person he does know about knowing is me, but we can pretend we’re on the outs as soon as I leave this room.”_

_“Look, Scott was attacked. By your grandfather, Allison. Gerard knows about Scott being a werewolf.”_

_“If the knife hilt deep in Scott’s stomach was anything to go by than yes, I’m sure.”_

_“He is so desperate that he would stab Scott in the middle of a public place just to intimidate the boy. He is so desperate that he threatened to do the same to me if Scott didn’t comply.”_

Vanessa nodded in grave understanding at her best friend’s concern. He didn’t want Gerard involved in any capacity. If the man’s granddaughter ran around risking her life in the name of her friends, in _Scott’s_ name, the man might say all bets are off and go after Vanessa. Go after all of them if he felt in the mood. Something told her that Gerard was always in the mood though, so technically they were screwed whether or not Allison went all Katniss Everdeen on them or not. 

“Did something else happen?” Allison asked quietly, Scott unaware that she knew about what happened Tuesday night and wanted to hear it from him instead. 

“I just don’t want you to get hurt,” Scott insisted desperately, “Seriously, if anything goes wrong, call me. I don’t care if your dad finds out, call, text, scream, yell, whatever! I’ll hear you and I’ll find you as fast as I can.” 

Scott stepped back from the girl, tearing his eyes off of her as he declared, “Meet me at my house in two hours.” 

He turned to walk out when something broke through the air. The boy turned, barely catching the arrow in time before it went through his face as they all stared at Stiles in horror. 

“What the **fuck** are you doing with that?” Vanessa cried out, snatching the weapon away from the boy and passing it to Allison as she scolded him, “You could have killed someone.” 

“Sorry,” he apologized sheepishly, gesturing to the crossbow and naturally laying the blame on the immobile object, “It’s got a sensitive trigger on that, it does.”


	15. Breakdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanessa and Allison make a trip to our resident Guidance Counselor - who happens to be fluent in French and Latin.  
> Isaac and Erica perform their really hot werewolf runway down the halls of their school - you know, the one that has cameras all linked to the principals office? You know, the principal being Gerard Argent, the man who declared genocidal against their kind?  
> Vanessa's plan is enacted and nothing goes the way you thought it would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everybody enjoys this chapter x I had fun writing it and it's one of my favourite chapters of this part :) Leave a comment down below about which chapter was your favourite and why, and what you enjoyed or hated about this one!  
> If you have an suggestions, please let me know! I do love to note them down and use them for other chapters so you guys know that I do listen to you and I do want to give you what you want so it can be a story we all enjoy equally x

Stiles and Vanessa had gone with Allison to the guidance counsellors office, bumping into Lydia on her way out. He gladly volunteered to accompany the girl to the library as it was still open for any students doing afternoon studying. 

Allison had passed a printed off page of the Bestiary to Miss Morell, the teacher taking it and inspecting it with a small smile on her face as she asked with interest, “Do you mind me asking where you got this? A book?” 

“Um, a family heirloom,” the dark girl mumbled out, shrugging helplessly when Vanessa sent her an incredulous look at the excuse. 

_Miss is going to think the Argents are fucking nutjobs if **this** is a family heirloom._

Morell smiled hesitantly, nodding at the sheet as she muttered, “Interesting family. I’m pretty familiar with most romance languages but this is a little out of my reach.” 

At the teacher’s shaking head, Allison bounded forward with pleading eyes as she asked, “Can you give it a shot?” 

Morell frowned at the sheet, prompting Vanessa to murmur, “You’re gonna have to find something else to do for your history project, Allie.” 

“No, no, no,” the teacher waved her hands at them, smiling kindly, “Just give me a moment.” 

The woman turned to look at the page, frowning slightly as she sounded out the first word, “Ka-ni-ma? Kanima. Do I have that right?” 

The girls exchanged nervous looks before nodding at her, “Yeah.” 

Morell continued on reading, “Like the wolf, it’s power is greatest at the moon’s peak. Huh, sounds like a werewolf.” 

They all laughed at that, the two teenagers sounding like a pair of guilty criminals before trailing off as the woman turned back to the sheet to point out, “There’s some words here I don’t recognize – “ 

“Just **try** ,” Allison insisted firmly, smiling sweetly to soften her abrupt tone, “Please?” 

Raising a brow in uncertainty, the teacher nodded in reluctance before asking slowly, “Can I hold onto it for a bit?” 

“Now is better, please.” 

Morell breathed out before continuing to translate to the best of her ability, “Alright, um, okay, ‘like the wolf, the Kanima is a social creature, but where the wolf seeks a pack, the Kanima seeks a friend.” 

Vanessa jerked back, turning her head to consider those words. Allison muttered to herself in confusion, obviously just as perplexed as the girl beside them as they tried to interpret what a ‘ _friend_ ’ could mean. Oh God, did the kanima want a _mate?_ That’s usually what people call the person they want to hook up with! 

_Oh my fucking God, if this thing is murdering people because it hasn’t gotten laid than it should start a club with Derek!_

The girl’s shoulders shook in silent laughter at the ridiculous thought, swallowing back her smile as she straightened up. 

_I can't wait to tell Erica and Isaac this shit._

“Thanks for that, it definently makes for an interesting history project, doesn’t it, Allie?” 

The dark-haired girl nodded, smiling her thanks before plucking the paper out of the teacher’s hands and making her way out. Standing in the empty hallway, Allison turned towards Vanessa in confusion over what they just learnt. 

“Before you ask, I don’t know and I don’t know,” the shorter brunette shrugged helplessly, running her hands through her hair as she started pacing. 

“Why would it be looking for a friend?” Allison wondered out loud, leaning against the lockers. 

Vanessa froze up, mind flashing back to when she had that talk to recruit Boyd for Derek’s pack. He sat alone at lunch, only seemed to talk to Erica and always seemed to be constantly aware of his lack of friends. He told Scott the reason he wanted to join the pack was because he wanted friends for once. 

“He’s lonely,” she murmured quietly, eyes widening at the other girl in realization, “It’s definently a teenager then.” 

Allison was about to reply when a loud screeching sound echoed down the hallway. Vanessa’s heart jumped in her chest, thinking it was kanima because it sounded so similar to the sound the creature made that night at the pool. That was before two familiar figures sauntered down the hallway. Isaac’s claws were out, running against the metallic lockers and leaving a trail of scratch marks in his wake as he smirked down at the blonde spinning around beside him, prowling towards the two girls with looks of predatory intent similar to the one their Alpha had when he found out Lydia didn’t pass the test. 

Isaac fixed Vanessa with a smirk that set her blood on fire, both from anger and from lust. The last one annoyed her the most, it’s thick, seductive tendrils trying to wrangle her away from her outrage. Unfortunately for Isaac, Vanessa was growing a tolerance for that ‘ _panty dropper_ ’ smile he had developed overnight. Any other time, it would have worked it’s magic on her. _You know, if she wasn’t concerned with the fact he had exposed himself to the cameras Gerard set up._

“What the bloody _fuck_ **fuck** do you think you’re doing?” she seethed, rushing forward to tug down Isaac by his jacket collar, “You can’t just do that out in the open! What are you even doing back here anyway?” 

Okay, so maybe his hotness had messed with her brain a little, but _only_ a little. She was still pissed beyond recognition though and no amount of god-blessed bone structure could wear that down. 

Isaac smirked down at her, leaning forward so that his lips were inches from her own, “Plans changed, love. We’re sticking around to make sure she doesn’t go psycho and kill everyone.” 

“Why would she do that in the middle of the school?” Allison questioned with an eyebrow raised, not backing down when both wolves turned their eyes to her with smirks that spelled out trouble with a capital 'T'. 

“School drives us all to consider murder at least once in our lives,” Erica drawled, leaning against the lockers with amusement coloring her eyes, “Don’t you agree?” 

“You make a really good point, but you have nothing to worry about,” Vanessa started grinning, stepping back from Isaac to stand beside Allison who had her own little smile, “They’re already gone.” 

Deep blue flashed to gold at the challenging look in her eyes, the couple staring intently at each other before the blonde groaned out, “Cut the sexual tension, please. Let’s get going. I can still hear Scott in the building so right now, that means the only thing holding her back from a murderous rampage is Stiles.” 

Vanessa looked up at the taller girl beside her, “You taking your car or do you wanna lift with me?” 

Allison cast a wary glance to the two werewolves in front of her before shaking her head, “I’m fine. I’ll meet you there.” 

The short brunette nodded, jerking her head for the other two to follow her. Once they hopped into the car though, she spun on them quickly, “ **Never** _ever_ do that again.” 

“Why?” 

“Because our principal is a hunter who won’t hesitate to kill you all, **_that's_** why!" 

“We were just having a little fun, Ness,” Erica whined, leaning back against the leather seat. 

“A little fun in the wrong place could get you killed, _sweetie_ ,” Vanessa replied with gritted teeth, turning forward to start the car and pull out of the car park. 

She ignored the werewolf beside her who was burning holes in the side of her head, focusing instead on driving to Scott’s and figuring out which one of her friends is turning into a lizard and offing people left and right. It was silent, even the radio wasn’t turned on, which was on purpose because she wanted to make it clear just how fucking angry she was. 

They just went romping through the halls, claws out with fucking **murder** in their eyes, and expected _nobody_ to notice the scratch marks left on the lockers? There were cameras _everywhere!_ She **literally** told them **that** morning that they had to go incognito for now on because of the number of eyes and ears watching their every move and what did they do? Have a fucking werewolf **runway** for every hunter and his fucking dog to watch! 

_Although it was a pretty hot werewolf runway._

_Like, **really** hot._

Vanessa pulled up in front of Scott’s house after fifteen minutes of silence, parking across the street from Stiles’ blue jeep and Allison’s BMW before hopping out. Without looking at the two guilty teenagers beside her, she spouted out orders and hoped to God they would **listen** to them, “Stay here and wait for Derek. Keep your ears out, I’ll let you know if anything happens.” 

“Nessa, wait – “Isaac grabbed her hand with pleading eyes that darted from her to the house in wariness and concern. 

“We’ll talk later,” she mumbled, wrenching her hand from his and storming up to Scott’s. She tried opening the door but found it locked. She pounded her fist on the door loudly, shouting out to her friends on the other side, “Guys, it’s me! Open the fucking door.” 

She heard the sounds of chains and locks being turned before the door inched open, revealing Stiles’ suspicious eyes squinting back at her accusingly, “Are you with them or with us?” 

Vanessa kicked the door open, causing the boy to stumble back in surprise at her actions before she stormed up the stairs and into the bathroom. She turned on the faucet, letting the cold water run before splashing her face. Her skin was hot, and her eyes stung with angry tears as she turned to look into the mirror. How could they not see that everything she did, she did for **them**? To protect them? It was like, everytime she came up with a plan that she crafted to save them, they wanted to tear it apart in front of her and strut right into the path of the hunters and kanima alike! 

She screamed into that small room, probably startling everybody downstairs as she did so, pulling at her hair in frustration as she collapsed on the edge of the bathtub. Her breathe started shuddering hard as she sobbed into her hands. Her phone rang from in her pockets, a sound that grated at her heart until she finally pulled it out to see who was calling. When she saw _his_ name, she took put the battery and put it back into her pocket just as the bathroom door opened. 

“Nessa?” Allison’s voice called down nervously to her, “Oh my God, Ness, what’s wrong?” 

The girl crouched down in front of her, hands on her knees as she looked up with wide, concerned eyes. Vanessa sobbed harder as she collapsed onto her friend, wrapping her arms around the girl as she cried out, “Why doesn’t anyone listen to me? They’re gonna get themselves killed if they keep pulling shit like that! There are cameras everywhere, Allie, and if Gerard sees something he doesn’t like – “ 

“Hey,” Allison interrupted, rubbing circles into her back as she whispered, “I promise that if my grandfather ever tries to attack them, I will do everything I can to stop him.” 

“I can’t ask you to do that, Allie. I don’t even know if you could. There’s so much going, so many problems and Scott doesn’t trust Derek and neither does Stiles and I feel like everybody is a loose fucking canon just waiting to fly and I’m running around trying to catch them! Why doesn’t anybody just **listen** to me? It would be so fucking easy if we just all worked together, just sitting down and talking about this shit but **NO**.” 

Her rant was cut off when Stiles came in, jerking back at the sight of the two girls and asking, “What the hell happened? Are you hurt?” 

Vanessa stiffened up, blinking back as she tried to calm herself. What the fuck _was_ she doing? They were in the middle of a plan and she was fucking everything up with her out of control emotions. They needed to be ready and alert so that if something did happen, the wolves outside could back them up considering Scott had yet to arrive. 

The girl pulled herself together, ignoring all the problems that threatened to choke her up before turning to Stiles, “Do you know how far away Scott is?” Allison, understanding that her friend wanted to feel some sort of order in the midst of this chaos, volunteered to call Scott, hurrying out of the room and leaving the two best friends staring at each other. Stiles gingerly came to sit beside her on the tub, slinging an arm over her shoulder as he joked, “Boyfriend troubles?” 

She threw her head back laughing, a dry, breathless sound that didn’t sound all that funny as she muttered, “No, not boyfriend troubles. _Werewolf_ troubles is more accurate.” 

“Tell me about it.” 

\- 

“Guys!” Allison called from the bottom of the stairs thirty minutes later. 

The two friends exchanged looks at the girl’s urgent tone before scrambling up and down the stairs. They peaked out from the curtains, watching as a silver Camaro parked itself right in front of Vanessa’s Ford before Derek and Boyd exited the car, waving over Isaac and Erica. 

Vanessa steeled herself before announcing, “I’m going out to talk to them.” 

“ _What?!_ ” Stiles exclaimed, almost yanking the curtains off the windows in shock, “Come on, Ness, we’re in a frickin’ _fortress_ right now!” 

“We’re in a house that has _a fucking backdoor_ that you forgot to lock,” she retorted, lips twitching in amusement when the boy stumbled to cover the back. She took advantage of his distraction, unlocking the front door quickly. 

She turned back to Allison, gesturing to the crossbow, “Don’t listen to Stiles if he tells you to shoot them. Keep your bow pointed _upstairs_. Remember who the real enemy is and, no matter what, **_don't hesitate_**." 

She didn’t wait for the girl to respond, ignoring Stiles’ protest from the back as she opened the front door and walked out. The sky had already turned dark, the only light coming from the streetlight across the road and the porch light that she was bathed in as she turned her attention to where Derek and his pack stood. 

Ignoring the Betas, she shoved her hands into her jacket and walked up to the Alpha, jaw clenched and eyes hard as they stared at his. 

“Derek.” 

“Vanessa. Shouldn’t you be in with your friends?” 

“I volunteered to wait for Scott to arrive and to keep you and your pack company,” she explained, trying to sound as detached as possible. Derek quirked a brow at the formal way she referred to him and her friends, but she didn’t want to go into detail. If he hadn’t noticed how red and puffy her eyes were, then he was too stupid to handle her explanation. 

She turned to Boyd, the only Beta that she wasn’t pissed off with at that moment and directed him to listen out for the top floor, especially for Jackson and Lydia. The boy nodded back at her before turning his attention back to the house, Vanessa smiling slightly before turning to walk to her car. She pulled out her phone, sending a few texts off to Scott when Isaac came over to lean on her hood. 

“Ness, you can’t ignore me forever, you know that right?” he murmured, shoulder brushing against hers and sending shivers up her spine despite the layers of leather between their skin. 

It didn’t matter though because the feel of his flesh, smooth lines and hard planes, was now imprinted in her physical memory. He was etched into her now and every breathe he took, every move he made sent her back to earlier that day when he had in her Coach’s office. All that heat and muscle pressed against her in ways no one has ever been. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, shoulders drooping and regret tinging his words, “I heard you. I tried to call you – “ 

“I know,” she interrupted him, eyes glued on her phone as she straightened up and moved away, “We can talk later. Right now, we have more pressing matters to attend to.” 

A hand landed on her arm, fingers sliding down to her encircle her wrist as Isaac said in a tone that made her blood run hot, “ _ **You’re**_ the only matter I want to attend to.” 

And she would have let him _attend_ to her right then and there – _with the look he was giving her, she wouldn’t let him stop for **anything**_ \- if it wasn’t for the loud scream that pierced through the previously silent night. Derek barked at Isaac and Erica to go around back while Boyd was to go around front, the tall boy in front of her looking torn between obeying his Alpha and staying to protect her when Derek’s voice rang out. 

“Isaac, go. I’ll stay with her until Scott arrives.” 

Despite his Alpha’s reassurance, he still waited for hers. Vanessa stared up at him with wide eyes and felt herself regret everything she said before. Regret for ignoring him or putting off his apologies until later on. In her defense, she didn’t count on the kanima turning until Scott had arrived but again, it seemed like the odds weren’t in her favor. 

“Go,” she whispered, surprised at herself before tightening her grip on his hands, “Come back to me alive or I’ll be more pissed off than I was before.” 

The boy smirked back at her, at her fiery spirit and the steel curl of her lips before snatching her hand up to press a chaste kiss to her knuckles and charging off towards the side of the house alongside Erica, gold eyes flashing as the calvary came to protect the humans inside. 

Vanessa watched her boyfriend and best friend go, swallowing her fear as she slid up next to Derek and asked in a wavering voice, “You’ll back them up if you need to, right?” 

“Of course, I will,” he murmured back, eyes darting from the house his Betas disappeared into to the empty street they were on, “Where the hell is Scott?” 

“He won’t be coming from the street. He’ll be coming from the woods. Focus your attention on what’s happening inside, you’ll hear him when he arrives.” 

They watched the house intently, fear crawling up her spine at every sound of glass shattering and the ear-piercing screeches that broke out until Vanessa couldn’t take not knowing anymore. She clung to Derek’s arm, uncaring if he didn’t like the physical contact or not because she needed a hell of a lot of comfort right now and her primary source of it up and left her to go fight it out with her primary problem. 

“Can you tell me what’s happening?” 

He glanced down at her, noticing her wide eyes and her tight grip before nodding, “Isaac and Boyd are fighting the kanima on the first floor. Stiles is climbing the steps to get to where Erica and Allison are. Allison just took a shot at it but missed. Erica told her and Stiles to hide. She just landed on it’s back and – Shit – “ 

Derek turned to her, placing two hands on her shoulders as he ordered her, “Stay here. If you see it come out, climb into your car and drive to the station.” 

She nodded, pushing him towards the house, “I got it, just go help them!” 

He nodded back before sprinting off, eyes flashing blue before he kicked open the door. A loud roar split through the night, comforting despite the hairs it rose on her neck. 

Especially when a second one joined it from the forest behind the house just before the sound of wood splintering erupted soon afterwards. Vanessa waited there, jumping at every loud noise and thundering roar before the they all piled out. 

She ran to them, inspecting their injuries with worried eyes and a worried heart as she exclaimed, “Where is it? Did you get it? Are you all okay?” 

Derek came out with a paralyzed Erica, her brown eyes blinking up at them all with terror. The Alpha ran over and laid her on the hood of Vanessa’s Ford before turning to focus his attention on roof, eyes searching for something. She turned her attention to the others, wincing at the bruise on Stiles head and the tears in Isaac’s jacket. 

“We’re all good,” Scott panted, turning to watch the roof alongside Derek, “It went upstairs.” 

“It’s still in there?” she screeched, running her hands through her curls nervously as Isaac brought her close to his side. 

“Guys,” Allison started, looking around frantically as she asked, “Where’s Lydia?” 

Boyd was the one who saw it first, pointing up at the roof and quietly announcing, “I think she’s up there.” 

Something could be heard scurrying around the rooftop, and it appeared a minute later, tail flickering in the air behind it as it reared it’s flat, reptilian head at them while letting out an ear-splitting screech from its fanged mouth. All of them jerked back instinctively, Vanessa gripping Isaac’s arm tightly as it sprang off Scott’s roof and into the night. 

“Scott, you, me, Isaac and Boyd need to go after her,” Derek instructed, not bothering to wait for the boy’s reply before appearing in front of Isaac and the girl clutching his arm, “Nessa, I need you to take Erica home. Stay with her until we come back.” 

“What are you gonna do?” Stiles spoke up from behind them, devastation sprawled across his face, “What are you gonna do when you find her?” 

The boy didn’t see it but Vanessa did, watching as Derek softened just a fraction as he considered the boy before mumbling, “We’ll try to catch her but if it comes down to letting her kill someone and stopping her for good, you know what we have to do.” 

Stiles reared forward, looking torn between screaming his head off and punching the werewolf when the sound of heels drew their attention back to the porch where Lydia appeared, tears streaming down her face as she exclaimed, “Would _someone_ please tell me what the **hell** is going on!” 

All of them gaped at her in shock, except for Stiles, Vanessa and Derek. Stiles sighed in relief, running up to the girl in an attempt to hug her while Derek tilted his head slowly, dreading the knowing look in the shorter girl’s eyes. She didn’t disappoint, sending him a small, shaky smile that managed to convey the gloating tone she would’ve take up if she wasn’t scared shitless of that thing roaming around. 

That thing that turned out to be – 

“Jackson,” Scott breathed out, clutching Allison’s hand tightly as he stared at it in the distance that only the wolves could see, “It’s Jackson.” 

They broke off into small groups, Derek sending Boyd ahead to track it – to track _Jackson_ – while he started up the Camaro, waiting for Isaac and Scott to join him. Scott had turned to Stiles, telling him to get Allison and Lydia home safe before turning to his girlfriend to say his goodbye. Isaac stared down at the girl in his arms, shaking his head apologetically. 

“I’m sorry, I gotta – “ 

Vanessa cut him off, pressing her lips to his in a kiss that promised more to come. The girl pulled away, staring at him with a small, understanding smile, “Go. Take care of them but most importantly, take care of yourself. We still have to have that talk.” 

“Which one?” he raised a brow at her, a suggestive curl to his lips. 

She swatted his arm playfully before retorting, “The quicker you go, the quicker you can come back and find out.” 

He drew her close, growling out softly, “I’m holding you to that.” 

A car horn interrupted their heated moment, Derek giving them the look that clearly said ‘ _The Captain of the Lacrosse team just turned into a psychotic lizard thing and is out there now probably ripping people’s insides out so we really don’t have time to flirt_ ’. How he communicated all that in one look was beyond her but she knew that it was a look that communicated the truth. She reluctantly withdrew herself from her boyfriend, pushing him gently towards the Camaro as she shouted out to her best friend and the Alpha beside him, “Have each other’s backs and don’t fucking die.” 

Scott snorted from the passenger seat, “I love your pep talks, I really do.” 

The last thing she heard was Isaac’s laughter from the backseat before Derek pulled out from where he was parked and sped down the street in the direction Boyd and the kanima disappeared down, leaving the others there to watch them go. 

“Is anyone gonna answer my question or are we just gonna stand here looking at some rando’s Camaro?” Lydia exclaimed impatiently, rushing down to stand in the middle of the group. 

Vanessa shook her head at the girl, turning to the others in exhaustion as she said, “You guys can handle that. Call me if you need help but I’m gonna make sure Erica gets home safe.”


	16. Pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After leaving Scott's house, Derek and his pack (including Scott) go hunting for Jackson, who was revealed as the kanima.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everybody enjoys this chapter x it's a bit short but it's Derek's P.O.V so I hope it makes up for the lack of quantity in the quality of seeing the events of the night play out through his perspective.  
> Leave a comment and kudos to lemme know what you thought x as per usual, feedback and suggestions are welcomed.

Derek followed Boyd to the warehouse district where his Beta had tracked the kanima to. He knew that as soon as everybody had calmed down from the night, he wouldn’t be hearing anything else but ‘ _I told you so_ ’ for the next month. And it almost made him thankful that he had the excuse of hunting the kanima down to put it off. He was starting to see more and more that Vanessa was smarter than he gave her credit for. She might be a teenager girl, but she was definitely one of the most valuable members of the pack. 

If she were a wolf, he’d even make her his second in command. The closest position any human has ever taken up in a pack is an emissary. He’d offer to send her to teachers, to have her learn magic and herbs to help protect her and the others but he didn’t miss the fear in her eyes or the way she clung to him and Isaac. She wasn’t quite ready yet, but he had no doubt she would get there soon. Maybe after the chaos with the kanima and the hunters were over, he’d tell her more about the emissaries and their role in the supernatural world. 

But for now, he just needed her and Erica safe. One of his packmates were wounded which means both females were vulnerable to an attack. Considering the Den was in the same district that the kanima now roamed in, he could only hope they had managed to get there safely. He figured as long as they had their eyes on it, the girls wouldn’t come across it. 

_Besides_ , he thought as he glanced over at the Beta next to him, _Isaac would sense if something were wrong._

He didn’t miss the way the young wolf ignored his commands earlier, even when he used his power as an Alpha. By all laws of nature, Isaac should have left the girl and gone inside when he first told him to. But there was one law that was the exception to that rule, and he needed to talk to his Beta about it later before something very **bad** happened. 

Derek came to stand in front of Scott, Boyd and Isaac, eyes glowing red as he directed them, “Scott, take Isaac and do a perimeter around the most populated places. Check Jungle and Sinema, and signal if you come across it. Me and Boyd will track it from here and we’ll let you know if we need backup. Understood?’ 

The boy in question looked disgruntled at being ordered around but nodded anyways, eyes flashing gold as he jerked his head at Isaac to follow him. The two teenagers bounded off towards the string of nightclubs while Derek and Boyd began tracking the kanima. That was another thing he needed to consider. If it weren’t for Scott’s insistence that he didn’t want to join the pack, he’d make a strong second too. Not as smart as Vanessa, of course, but he could see strong leadership within his own little group that gave the Alpha more to think about than he would've liked. 

The two werewolves lost sight of the creature under the bridge, jogging to a stop and quickly positioning themselves back to back. Boyd shouted out in warning when the kanima dropped in front of him, the Alpha coming to stand beside his Beta as they faced off against it. He reared back his head, roaring with his fangs as the kanima hissed before lunging at them. He ducked just in time, Boyd coming behind the creature and dodging the strong whacks from it’s tail. Despite Jackson having never trained in combat, his creature alter-ego was a formidable opponent and Derek found it difficult to avoid the claws that glittered with translucent venom or the tail that could sweep out under their feet and go right back around to slam another into a wall. 

Boyd rolled out of the way as Derek did a kickflip, boots landing heavily against the kanima’s chest and sending the creature crashing into the wall behind it as both wolves descended. The kanima recovered just in time to duck, avoiding a hard punch from Derek but not the kick from Boyd. It was strong though, too strong, as it’s tail managed to hinder Boyd long enough for the creature to compose itself and ram Derek. The Alpha rolled to avoid being paralyzed, picking up a square-shaped piece of metal and holding it out in front of him to shield himself from the vicious attacks, the kanima driving him back against the wall. It hissed at him, yellow eyes with reptilian slits gazing with primal rage as it pressed against him through the shield. Derek roared back, sending a forceful push against the creature and sending it to the ground. The kanima turned quickly, scurrying up the wall and peering down at the two wolves as it made to lunge. It must have accidentally set off the wiring because sparks flew and blinded them, effectively giving the kanima a smoke screen it could use to attack. Before it could do more than throw them around, the screech of a car drew their attention. 

Derek inhaled the familiarly threatening scent of Chris Argent and pulled Boyd behind the brick pillars, hiding behind the trash they found there as shots rang out under the bridge. They didn’t move, not even when the kanima healed from it’s bullet wounds and sprang up behind Argent. Not even when it slammed the hunter into the wall in front of them. Not even when it bounded up to Gerard, staring up at the old man with curiosity. And not even when Scott McCall slammed into it, sending it flying through the air and crashing into the wall beyond their vision. 

They watched as Scott and Gerard regarded the other, neither looking very shocked or fearful before Scott turned and took off after the kanima. Derek used that precious time where the hunter’s attention wasn’t on them to get him and Boyd out of there, running around the block to meet up with the younger Beta. They arrived at the front of Jungle, where Isaac was leaning against the wall and gritting his teeth in agitation before they all showed up. 

“What happened? Why did he go? Did you need help? Where is it?” a voice called out, appearing beside the Beta in a rush. 

The three newcomers gaped at Stiles Stilinski before Scott asked him first, “Where the **hell** did you come from?” 

“I tracked your phone,” the boy explained, shrugging as if stalking his best friend was an act of normalcy. Having known the boy for quite a while, Derek was starting to get that it was kind of a normal act for Stiles. 

“Did you make sure the girls got home okay at least?” Scott questioned, pressing in close. 

“ _Relax_ , I followed them all the way to Lydia’s house before I left to get you,” Stiles replied, waving off the question as he rubbed his hands together enthusiastically, “So did you get him?” 

“Couldn’t. The _**hunters**_ arrived before we could capture him,” Derek snapped in derision at the humans who interrupted their hunt. 

“Argent put, like, ten bullets into him and he still got up to throw the guy around,” Scott panted in disbelief, shaking his head as he cried out, “If ten bullets won’t hurt him, what are we gonna do?” 

“Wait until he changes and try to keep his attention on us ‘til it happens,” Boyd spoke up, looking out for any sign of it, “It’s what Vanessa told us to do, right?” 

“Is Vanessa your Alpha now?” Stiles joked, leaning against the wall to smirk at Derek, “You might have some competition there, pal.” 

The Alpha shot him a withering look before pointing out to Scott, “Boyd couldn’t catch a scent. Could you?” 

“No, I don’t think he has one.” 

“Alright, any clue where he’s going?” Stiles asked, hands on his hips as he looked around, “Any takers?” 

“To kill someone,” Isaac drawled, grinning when the boy shot him a sneer in return. 

“Oh, that explains the claws, and the fangs, and all that. Makes perfect sense now.” 

Scott rolled his eyes at him before turning to peer around the corner at the bouncer as Stiles exclaimed, “What? I’m a hundred and forty-seven pounds of pale skin and fragile bone, okay? Sarcasm is my only defense.” 

If anyone asked, Derek did not twitch his lips in one of those ghost smiles that only Vanessa could detect. Thank God, the girl was there right now, or he would be in trouble. 

“Just, keep a look out for anything you might find suspicious or weird,” Scott directed, turning his attention back to studying the entrance of the nightclub. 

“Not “it”,” Stiles corrected, emphasizing with his hands, “ _Jackson_.” 

The other boy shook his head in disbelief once again, “Yeah, I know. I know.” 

“Alright, but does he know that? Did anybody see him back at your house?” 

“You were in there when he turned,” Isaac pointed out, turning to face the yammering boy with a raised eyebrow, “Shouldn’t _you_ have noticed something?” 

“I was too busy trying to protect both the entrance points from the likes of ‘ _Team Kill Lydia Martin_ ’, thank you very much,” the boy spat back, muttering to his best friend, “I don’t get what Vanessa sees in him.” 

“You know Ness. She’s crazy like that,” Scott replied nonchalantly, trying to placate his friend long enough for him to be quiet because he really couldn’t hear anything besides his voice and that’s _really_ **not** what he needs right now. 

Derek could tell this and yanked Stiles back by the collar, whispering in the boy’s ear harshly, “Your friend’s trying to focus right now, and he needs you to **_shut the hell up._** " 

Scott turned around to yell at the Alpha for manhandling his best friend when Stiles looked up, stuttering out in fear as he pawed frantically at him and Derek. The boy dragged the werewolf back by his leather jacket, Scott and the other two Betas following until they could clearly see what had him so distressed. A dark, reptilian tail slithered in the air out of one of the vents in the nightclub before disappearing out of sight which meant only one thing. 

“He’s inside,” Scott stated, gulping as his eyes trailed down the side of the building. 

“What’s he gonna do in there?” Isaac spoke up, brows furrowed as he glanced at the others in confusion. 

Stiles' eyes caught on a figure in line, hand patting his best friend’s chest as he gasped, “Scott, look!” 

He pointed to a vaguely familiar boy who Derek was pretty sure was on their lacrosse team but must be pretty significant by the look of dawning realization coming across Scott’s face as he announced, “I know who he’s after.” 

“What, how?” Boyd asked, coming to stand behind Scott. 

“Did you smell something?” the Beta to Derek’s left piped up, head whipping around to see what caught Scott’s attention. 

“Armani,” was all Scott said in response, eyes glued to the boy walking into the club. 

Isaac caught onto what Scott was implying, throwing his head back laughing as he asked, “Why would Jackson go after his best friend?” 

“That’s what we’re gonna find out,” Derek announced before ripping the handle to the side door off and chucking it to Stiles, who fumbled with it ungracefully before flinging it behind the dumpster next to them. 

The blonde werewolf chuckled, shaking his head at the boy before following his Alpha inside. Knowing the nature of the club, Isaac and Boyd stayed on the outskirts alongside Derek. The two Betas watched in amusement as Scott and Stiles walked right into the middle of the dancefloor, Scott oblivious to what was happening around him as Stiles was immediately enveloped into a group of drag queens who ran long, fake nails through the boy’s buzz cut. 

They threw their heads back laughing when the other werewolf finally realized they had walked into a gay club, Isaac sneering at Stiles who flipped him the bird as he dragged Scott over to the bar. 

“Are you two gonna make fun of them all night or help me stop a kanima from murdering everyone in this place?” Derek asked, not bothering to take his eyes off the roof. 

The two Betas, properly chided, joining him in his surveillance of the room, careful not to catch the eye of anyone else as not to give them the wrong idea. Both werewolves were perfectly happy where they were, and both had girls waiting for them back in their den. Well, Isaac did. Boyd still needed to work on making his feelings clearer. But facts were facts. They were both, essentially, taken. 

Derek found the kanima around the same time Scott did, gesturing for his two Betas to remain alert. He gestured for Isaac to cover the front while Boyd covered the back as Derek moved to join Scott and Stiles. It had stopped directly over the head of that guy Scott and Stiles had spotted earlier, supposedly the best friend of it’s human alter ego. The Alpha was still confused about it’s motives, why it would target it’s friends when it had gone after complete strangers but now was not the time to throw theories around. That was better left for Vanessa, who he found to have a knack for that sort of thing. 

“What’s the plan?” Stiles asked as the Alpha came to join them, all eyes on the kanima creeping towards the wiring that controlled the smoke machine. 

“Get Danny.” 

“What’re _you_ gonna do?” 

The two werewolves exchanged glanced before extending their claws, readying themselves for a face off with the creature above them as Stiles nodded behind them, “Works for me.” 

Derek saw the boy out of the corner of his eye disappear into the crowd after this Danny guy and growled warningly as the kanima’s own claws teased the wiring before smoke enveloped it. It was like earlier that night when the electricity gave it cover before it’s attack and Derek knew instinctively that it was no longer on the roof. 

“Shit,” he seethed, eyes glowing red to see through the smoke as he told Scott, “It’s on the floor with us.” 

“Derek, your eyes!” 

“I need them to fucking **see** , Scott! If you want to stop innocents from dropping dead tonight, you should do the same.” 

Not waiting for the boy, the wolf charged in the direction of the distinct hisses that crept closer and closer to the boy called Danny. Derek heard Stiles not far off, calling out the boy’s name as he struggled through withering bodies and knew the boy wouldn’t it make it in time. The Alpha had already heard three thuds by the time he got five feet away from the dancing kid, three more bodies dropping to the floor before he made it there completely. 

The kanima knelt over Danny, claws trailing the tender flesh at his throat and Derek knew that he had no choice but to stop it – him. Even if it meant that Jackson had to die. His own claws flew towards the creature, the soft underbelly of it’s throat ripping open before he could do the same for the paralyzed boy underneath him as Scott screamed at him to stop. 

It was too late, the kanima’s clawed hand clutched at it’s throat as it stumbled out towards the exit that Boyd was guarding, the Beta having followed the creature as it limped out the side door and into the car park. It was how the others found him when they caught up, standing over Jackson’s body and watching as his skin knitted back together. The boy, having appeared back to normal with his bare chest covered in blood, coughed out, causing Stiles to shriek back in shock. 

“How is this possible?” Scott muttered, eyes wide as he glanced at Derek, “How the hell did he survive that?” 

“I don’t know,” the Alpha responded, and it pissed him off to no end that he was _actually_ telling the truth. 

He thought he had scratched the thing pretty good, but it had enough energy to return to it’s human form and heal, even from something as deep as a ravaged throat. 

“What do we do with him now?” Stiles asked, gesturing wildly at the almost dead boy in front of them. 

“Put him in the back of your jeep,” Scott responded, going over to lift the boy in his arms. 

“What?! I’m not putting him in my jeep! What happens if he goes all psycho murder lizard again?” 

“He’s right,” Derek interjected, stepping forward with the intent of taking the unconscious boy, “It’s safer if he comes with us. We have a place we can lock him up until we figure out how to help him. He’s my pack, my responsibility.” 

“That’s even worse than Scott’s idea,” Stiles spat out, stepping up beside his friend. 

Scott nodded, “Look, I’m grateful for your help but we can take it from here.” 

Isaac and Boyd stepped forward to back their Alpha up until Derek held out both of his arms. 

_A chance to get back in my good graces, and maybe sometime in the future, get back in Scott’s._

If there was trust being built between him and Scott, than he needed to let it grow. Not only because having another Beta could make the pack more powerful but because he needed to look out for the boy. Despite what he would claim, and by the Gods would he claim it until he died, he actually cared for Scott. When he looked at him, he saw himself. He was only half joking when he told them that they were brothers now. 

_Vanessa would be so proud of me_ , he thought to himself as he nodded. 

“Fine. You can take him but if he get’s loose again, you will agree to let me take him.” 

Scott considered the proposition for a moment before nodding in agreement, “I will. I’ll tell Vanessa to call you if I need your help.” 

“Sounds good.” 

The two boys had started to turn away towards the blue jeep parked in front of the club when Derek called out to the other werewolf once more, “Scott?” 

“Yeah?” 

“I can see why you didn’t agree to join my pack. You’re not an Omega. You’re an Alpha with a pack of your own.” 

The boy swallowed nervously before nodding back. And it was that nod that gave him hope. 

_One day, maybe a day in the not so distant future, I might be able to convince him to join our two packs. Imagine that, two Alphas in Beacon Hills leading one great pack._

He could also imagine the earful Vanessa would give him if she heard his internal thoughts scheming for power. If that girl ever revealed herself to be a psychic, he was well and truly doomed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few questions:  
> \- What's your theories on why Isaac didn't do what Derek commanded in the last chapter? Do you think it's as serious as Derek is making it out to be?  
> \- Who's pack do you prefer? The Hale Pack or the McCall? If you had to choose one to end up being the primary pack in Beacon Hills, which would you pick? Or, do you like Derek's idea about having two Alphas leading one great pack?  
> \- What did you guys think about the pack dynamic? Loved it, hated it? What did you find interesting?  
> \- Also, are we all in agreement that to every single werewolves, Danny smells like Armani. No matter the person smelling him, he always smells like Armani. Like, it's canon, isn't it?


	17. Little Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek and Isaac have a talk about what it means to disobey an Alpha.  
> The pack have dinner and discuss what they're going to do now that they know Jackson is the kanima.  
> Sarah and Lisa want to meet Derek.  
> Isaac and Vanessa finally have their little talks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- The first part of this chapter is in Derek's P.O.V, just so you're not confused.  
> \- The title is taken from the song sharing the same title "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men.  
> \- Later on in the chapter, there will be discussions of sex and implied sexual content. There will be topics briefly discussed such as consent and safety. I believe that everyone, no matter the age, should start of a relationship - that looks like it will become serious - by confronting the sex topic, especially if you have feel like your partner is wanting to explore that level of intimacy with you. Consent is such an important and crucial topic in a relationship - even a fling - and I feel like more stories need to have their characters confront the topic, especially if they're teenagers. Yes, it might be awkward or 'ruin the sexy flow' but I rather ruin a flow than ruin my mental health or trigger the mental health of others by not making consent explicitly clear in a relationship I intend on portraying as healthy.  
> \- Leave a comment and kudos and I hope you enjoy the chapter x

They pulled up at the depot fifteen minutes later, Boyd hopping out to open the gate and check the perimeter while Derek grabbed Isaac before he could join his packmate. The boy shut the door, swallowing nervously as he turned to face his Alpha. 

“Earlier tonight, you disobeyed a direct order. An order given from your Alpha. _How?_ ” 

“Wha-what do you mean how?” 

“Isaac, Betas _can’t_ disobey Alphas.” 

“Because you guys are the leaders. I’m sorry, I just wanted to make sure – “ 

“That Vanessa was okay,” Derek finished, turning forward and sighing deeply, “While it’s true that you should respect and obey an Alpha’s order, we have a power that can enforce our will. Remember the first night you turned, and I roared you into submission? When an Alpha gives an order, with their power pushed behind it, it is almost impossible to fight against it – _let alone fully ignore it_.” 

“Derek, if this is about not doing what you told me to do – I – I’m truly sorry,” Isaac stammered, more of the kid he was before than the wolf he had been parading around as since he was turned, “I will accept any punishment you give me.” 

The man stared at his Beta, shaking his head at his bowed head and his tremoring fingers before sighing heavily. 

“Isaac, I’m not your father. I’m not going to punish you. I’m going to _teach_ you why this is important. There are only three things that can make a Beta defy an Alpha’s order. One of the them is the full moon, and I don’t mean a normal one like your first one, but a supermoon. Or if the wolf has been deprived of it, then they might not process a command like others. The second one is a strong emotion, usually anger, that drives you more than your fear or loyalty to your Alpha. The third is much rarer and has consequences for all involved.” 

“What is it?” the boy asked with wide, fearful eyes. 

Derek looked towards the unlocked gate that led to their hideout below and explained, “The third way for a Beta to defy their Alpha is if they have a Mate. A Mate is similar to an Anchor, but they are different in a few ways. A Mate is always a person, either creature or mortal. There is nothing more powerful than a bond between a werewolf and their Mate.” 

“I don’t understand.” 

“An Anchor is a connection that centers you, keeps you grounded so your wolf doesn’t take over. It can be a person, place, thing or mantra and it can always change. Because of it’s ability to change, it’s fickler and less certain for wolves because, like all beings, we develop and grow. What we value as a human could change in a year or five years and therefore our Anchors change.” 

The Alpha continued on, “A Mate is more certain. Once you find one, they are yours and you are there’s until one of you die. Not only do they ground you, keep you in control on the full moon, but they make you more **powerful**. They give you the ability to deny an Alpha, power to make even your fellow Betas submit. Your Mate enhances your already existing powers and brings peace to the wolf inside you. If you were to lose them, you would be nothing more than a feral creature until you learned to control yourself using an Anchor. Some wolves don’t make it that long though and have to be put down.” 

“Why are you telling me this?” 

“Because I think Vanessa might be your Mate.” 

\- 

Vanessa had taken Erica back to the depot, the little hideout she affectionately dubbed the ‘Den’ but only to herself. The blonde had recovered most of the feeling in her body by the time they had arrived, only needing Vanessa to support her as she limped down the steps and was set onto the bench. 

The brunette had busied herself with making dinner instead of worrying about their friends and pack members going off after the kanima – who turned out to be Jackson Whittemore after all. If only everybody **_listened_** to her more often, they would find themselves less surprised and more on track so that they could get the job done and be home in time for dinner. 

Just as she was done setting down the plates, Erica called out from where she was leaning against the wall, stretching her limbs out in front of her, “They’re back.” Vanessa bounced on her feet eagerly, skipping around the makeshift kitchen and putting the finishing touches to the table as Boyd appeared, inhaling the aroma and smiling kindly at her, “That smells too good.” 

“After the day we’ve had, I say we deserve too good,” she called back, placing the pan on the table, “We’re having nachos tonight!” 

“I fucking love nachos,” Erica groaned, getting to her feet and stretching her hands up languidly above her before setting herself down in her chair as she made hands towards the dish, “Gimme gimme!” 

“Sweetie, I just made you dinner. The least you can do is dish it up yourself!” 

“Touché.” 

Footsteps echoed through the room as Derek and Isaac appeared at the bottom of the steps, the former heading straight to the table while the latter watched as the short brunette bounded over to him, inspecting him frantically for any injuries he might have sustained. She didn’t know why, knowing full well that any wound he would’ve received would have healed by now. Maybe it was just her way of reassuring herself that he was alive; he was safe and that he was here with her. 

_I might still be hella mad at him but I’m not ashamed to admit I also want a chance to touch him._

“Hello to you too,” he murmured down at her as she fingered the tear in his jacket from earlier that night with worry, “What smells so good?” 

“Your girlfriend made nachos!” Erica called from the table, the couple turning to find her piling up her plate eagerly, “If you don’t marry her, I fucking **will**.” 

For some reason, even though they both knew full well she was joking, Isaac stiffened and his eyes flashed gold in warning at his female packmate. The blonde nodded her head knowingly, as if she just had something confirmed to her before turning around to wolf down her meal. Vanessa’s head whipped back and forth between the two, mouth agape as she tried to process what just happened. 

_Shake off the weirdness, Nessie, just shake it off and ask later. Be glad that they’re all alive to act weird._

“Come on,” she said as she slipped her hand into his, tugging him towards the table, “We deserve some good food after everything that happened today.” 

“Too true,” they heard Derek murmur as they walked behind him. 

There was still no seat for Vanessa, but she had managed to push her anger so far behind her that she climbed onto Isaac’s lap without any awkwardness between the two, piling on their share of the meal onto their plates and started digging in greedily. 

_We’re all so fucking tired, I can barely keep my eyes open let alone stay angry at him. Although, we’re still having that talk before we go to bed tonight._

When they were halfway through their meal, Derek leaned forward in his seat, clasping his hands out in front of him as he fixed them all with a serious look, “We need to discuss what we’re going to do now that Jackson has been taken care of.” 

“Actually, we have to discuss how exactly he’s going to be taken care of,” Vanessa corrected, leaning back against Isaac’s hard chest as the boy placed their clean plates in front of them, “And we need to go over the events of tonight.” 

“Such as?” 

“Before we all rendezvoused at Scott's, me and Allison went to visit the guidance counselor - who so happens to know archaic Latin. We gave her a page of the Bestiary to translate and we found out a few things about the kanima we didn’t know before,” she explained, fingering the sleeve of her boyfriend’s leather jacket, “The kanima draws it’s power from the full moon, so the next full moon, Jackson will be stronger and faster. We need to find a way to cure him by than otherwise he will be difficult to keep contained and even more difficult to catch.” 

“Great, glad we have _all the time in the world_ to fix the jackass,” Erica muttered bitterly to herself, “ ** _Not_**.” 

“When’s the next full moon?” Boyd asked warily, eyes flickering nervously from his Alpha to the blonde sitting to his right. 

“Twenty days,” Derek responded, not liking their odds, “Barely three weeks.” 

“If we all work together like we did tonight, I’m sure we can find something in time,” Vanessa reassured him, looking around the table, “Or at least find a better alternative.” 

“ _Vanessa_.” 

She turned to the man desperately, “We **have** time.” 

“And if time runs out and we don’t have anything?” 

The girl searched his eyes, eyes that were dark and full of grim acceptance for any outcome that may present itself to him and sighed heavily, “We have a deal and I will respect our terms. If we can’t find anything to help him by the next full moon, for the good of the town, you will put him down.” 

Derek nodded before moving onto another subject, “Did you learn anything else from the teacher?” 

Vanessa’s brows furrowed as she considered the other thing they discovered, “Morell said that although the kanima's a social creature, they do not seek an Alpha but rather…..” 

“Rather _what?_ ” 

“Rather a _friend?_ ” she replied hesitantly, frowning at the man as she continued, “It just doesn’t make sense though. The kanima has always been spotted alone, we’ve never seen another one of it’s kind or anyone else for that matter when it's attacked. There were no signs of anyone else being at the crime scenes otherwise the Sheriff’s department would have pointed it out – Hell! Even _Deaton_ would’ve pointed it out by now.” 

“Are you _sure_ she said a friend?” Derek questioned as he quirked a brow at her, “Jackson doesn’t seem like one for friends and I doubt his alter ego is any different.” 

“Maybe she translated the word wrong?” Isaac suggested, propping up the girl in his lap so he was more comfortable and leaning his chin on her shoulder, “It is archaic Latin after all. There’s bound to be a few difficulties translating a language so…. _dead_.” 

Vanessa nodded in agreement, “That makes sense. Morell did say she had a few difficulties translating some words. We were kind of in a hurry to find out all we could beforehand but Miss was getting suspicious, so we had to hightail out of there. I’ll get Allison to recheck it tomorrow to make sure we didn’t get anything wrong.” 

Derek inclined his head at that before turning his attention to Boyd when the boy spoke up, “What about Scott and Stiles? Where're they gonna keep Jackson that’s safer and more secure than what we were offering?” 

The girl on Isaac’s lap almost fell out of it as she stammered out in a panic, “ _Scott and Stiles_ have Jackson? **_Oh my God_** , I thought you dropped the guy off at the cellar under your house, Derek! You didn’t **seriously** let _Scott and Stiles_ walk off with him did you?” 

The boy behind her started laughing as he followed her train of thought, “Oh, this is gonna be **fun**.” 

“ **No, it’s not!** ” his girlfriend shrieked turning to face Derek with wide eyes, “This is gonna end **really** fucking **badly**.” 

“I was taking _your_ advice! You told me to show Scott he could trust me, so I respected his decision – “ 

“Sometimes respecting Scott’s decisions is also respecting _Stiles’ decisions_ which can range from killing the guy to almost _anything fucking else!_ ” Vanessa leaped up from the table, dragging her chuckling boyfriend behind her as she made for the stairs, “I can’t – I fucking can’t!” 

\- 

She ranted to Isaac the whole way home, all the way up to the front door as she flung it open, crying out, “He just gave two _**toddlers**_ a fucking match and was like, ‘ _call me if the house burns down_ ’! Fucking idiots.” 

“Who’s an idiot?” Lisa called from the kitchen, coming out to see what the commotion was about and freezing up when her eyes landed on Isaac. 

“Mrs O’Connor, it’s good to see you again,” he smiled nervously, running a hand through his hair as the woman’s eyes teared up. 

_Here we fucking go._

“Oh, sweetheart! I’m so glad you’re okay,” the blonde woman cried out, running up to him and pulling him into a fierce hug, “I was so scared. I knew that you _**couldn’t**_ have done what they said you did. You’re too goddamn adorable to do something like that! Oh, how scared you must’ve been, on the street and on the run all alone!” 

“Mom,” Vanessa drawled, trying to drag her off of the boy, “He was _fine_. A friend helped him out.” 

“A _friend_ , huh?” Sarah’s voice trailed from the dining room, “A friend helped a _person of interest_ evade police arrest? Sounds like a **very** , good friend.” 

The deputy appeared in the doorway, leaning against the wall with a sardonic grin on her face that could rival Chris Argent’s any day of the week as she gave the boy a once over before beckoning them both to the dining room. The two teenagers exchanged nervous glances before following her, taking their seats at the table as Sarah observed them closely. 

“I know three things about all of this,” the woman started, gesturing at the two of them with her hand, “One, you’re innocent. Even knowing what I do about your homelife, I know you’re innocent. Your bike is still across the street by the way, sweetie, in case you forgot.” 

Isaac ducked his head blushing as Sarah continued, “Two, I know Nessie knew where you were the whole time. It took a great amount of trust and respect for my daughter not to trail her and I hope you two know that I could've lost my badge for it.” 

“Thank you, Sarah,” they mumbled out sheepishly, feeling guilty for the stress they put on the woman for choosing between her daughter and her job. 

“Three, I now know you weren’t alone on the streets like me and Lisa feared you were, so I need you to tell me one thing, kiddo, and that was who were you with?” 

“Why?” Vanessa scrunched up her face at the question, “Will you arrest the guy if we give him up?” 

“That depends,” Sarah hummed with mischievous eyes, “If he is as shady as you’re making him out to be.” 

“He’s not shady. I just don’t think he’d appreciate us dobbing on him for being an accomplice to _evading police arrest_ , which is still a crime.” 

“I was _joking_ , kid, come on! Look, if I promise **not** to arrest the guy, will you tell me who he is?” 

“Why do you wanna know?” Vanessa repeated. 

“I wanna know so I can thank him for taking care of Isaac. It takes a great deal of courage and sacrifice to do that for some stranger and he deserves to be commended for it.” 

Both teenagers snorted at that, exchanging amused glances before the girl grinned, “He’d absolutely **love** that, wouldn’t he?” 

“Nothing he’d want more,” the boy smirked back at her. 

“I feel like I’m missing something,” Sarah pointed out, backed up by her wife, who nodded in agreement. 

“Sorry, Mom, it’s just that he’s kind of a _lone wolf_ sorta guy,” Vanessa commented, unable to get through the sentence with a straight face before both teenagers descended into laughter. 

“I don’t get it,” Lisa whispered, staring at them in concern, “Maybe they’re tired.” 

“We are **really** fucking tired,” their daughter groaned, massaging her temples as she flattered her lashes at the two women pleadingly, “Is it alright if Isaac stays the night? We’ve had a really rough day and we wanna crash.” 

“Did something happen at school?” 

“I assaulted a few kids in Gym for talking shit to Erica, Lydia had a meltdown in school and someone broke into the McCall house when we all went over to study so we dropped Erica off before going out to eat and now we are here,” Vanessa explained, pushing back her chair and standing up, “We’re gonna go to sleep now, but I love you both and we’ll see you in the morning.” 

She gave both of them quick kisses on the forehead before dragging Isaac out of his seat and up the stairs. She thought they might get away with it when Sarah called after them, “ _ **Not so fast!**_ ” 

The two teenagers froze, spinning around slowly to peer over the bannister at the smirking woman as she asked, “What’s his name?” 

“Ryan Reynolds.” 

“That shit might have worked on your homeroom teacher, missy-moo, but not on me. _**I want a name**_.” 

“Brad Pitt.” 

“ **VANESSA**.” 

“Fineeeeee,” she groaned, knowing she wouldn’t be able to play her mother like she played Harris, “ _ **Derek fucking Hale**_. And before you get into me about how he’s a person of interest – he was _exonerated_. And if I remember correctly, there’s a recording device in your possession that supports that. He’s a friend of ours and he agreed to look out for Isaac until he was cleared of all charges.” 

“ **DEREK FUCKING HALE?** ” Sarah exclaimed as Lisa sighed sweetly, “That’s nice of him, sweetie.” 

“ _What?_ ” the brown-haired woman whispered harshly to her wife, “He was charged with _murder_.” 

“And our daughter gave a statement that cleared him of all charges,” the blonde responded, unfazed by her partner’s distress as she looked up at the children staring down at them, “Let him know we’d like to meet him sometime in the future for dinner, will you?” 

“ _Sure_ , Mom.” Vanessa drawled, planning to never, ever do any such thing. God, just imagining Derek in her dining room, having dinner with her mothers like it was normal was too fucking weird. Especially with a fucking headache coming on, she couldn’t get through five seconds of this imaginary scenario before shaking her head at herself. 

“You okay?” Isaac asked, a gentle hand settling on her shoulder as he gazed down at her in concern. 

Her lips curled up, mustering up a tired smile, “I’ll be alright. Wanna scissors, paper, rock for who has the shower first?” 

“You’re on.” 

\- 

After twenty minutes of watery eyes, gritted teeth and mistrust – Vanessa was at her wits end as she stormed out of the bathroom. Somehow, she didn’t know how so don’t ask her to show evidence or some shit like that, he had done it **again**. He had _cheated_ in scissors, paper, rock and turned her own trick against and her. She didn’t know how he dodged her obvious win, but he did. Which meant that she had to watch him saunter out of the bathroom with no shirt on, grey sweatpants hanging low on his hips and a towel wrapped around his shoulders as he headed to her room. 

The whole time she was in the shower, she was caught thinking about many things. Their hot and heavy make out session in Coach’s office that both scared and thrilled her to no end, his little werewolf runaway stunt that had her heart beating fast with fear that he had exposed himself and Erica to Gerard, blood running red hot with anger; and his cheating at scissors, paper, rock and walking out of the bathroom with steam wafting out behind him, looking every bit as god-blessed as she dubbed him. 

_The scissors, paper, rock game though, **that** was cold._

She was about to pass out, but she needed to say her peace. Otherwise she would regret it in the morning. 

“Alright, mister – “ she kicked open the door, expecting to lay down the law for him on how their little talk was going to go. 

That was how the plan was supposed to go, if he wasn’t sprawled across her bed looking like he belonged in a GQ magazine. 

_That sly motherfuck –_

“You were saying?” he smirked up at her, cleverly covering up his own nervousness with that panty-dropper smile. 

_Who the fuck taught you to smile like that?_

She shook her finger at him, storming up to the bed to tower over him as she grounded out, “I was saying that we need to have our little talk. **Right now**.” 

_Before I get distracted with that muscular chest of yours, you beautiful jerk!_

_Oh God_ , even her insults were taking a fucking vacation. She needed to get to the point fast before she either jumped him or passed out from sheer exhaustion. 

The girl sat down cross legged on the bed in front of him, waiting patiently while he did the same before starting her little rant. 

_Just a warning folks, it was not gonna be a ‘little’ rant._

“You did a really reckless thing today; you know that right? Was it hot? _Yes_. Did it make you feel powerful? _Probably_. Did it expose you and your packmate to a vicious hunter that threatened to gut me and has declared war on your kind? _Yes again!_ ” 

Isaac’s eyes flashed at the mention of the threat to her life, softening her up just a fraction as she grabbed his hand and pressed it against her chest as she explained, “I know you probably weren’t thinking about that. I don’t know what you and Erica were thinking but what you did, it **_scared_** me. I’ve been tryna keep you all out of trouble, tryna keep you from getting **killed** in this war but I feel like I’m failing you. If you get killed by those hunters, it won’t be your fault. It won’t be theirs. It won’t be Erica’s or Boyd’s or even Derek’s. It will be mine because I told Derek your name. I told him to offer you the bite and I knew that you’d be in danger from the hunters, but I did it anyway.” 

The boy gaped at her as she started crying, not even realizing it when she was so deep into her little tirade, “I need you to understand that if anything happens to any of you, I will blame myself. But if something happens to you, in particular, I don’t know what I’d do. And I don’t ever want to find out what I’d do if that ever happened. I need you guys to be smart about this because we’re in the middle of a war. The kanima might look big and scary but it’s the humans, the one’s dressed up as harmless sheep, that are the real monsters. And I’ll be **damned** if I let them take you away from me!” 

She was full on bawling by the end of it, squeezing her fingers around where she held his wrist so tightly that if he weren’t supernaturally gifted, she would think she had cut off his circulation by now. Strong arms wrapped around her, bringing her flush against him as she sobbed into his shoulder. He squeezed her tight into one of those bone crushing hugs that made her feel the kind of safety you could only feel when you were surrounded by warmth. When it pressed against you from all sides and held you in a way that promised you would never feel cold and alone again. 

_But that’s what I’m afraid of. That one day, that warmth will be taken away from me._

“I’m sorry,” he murmured over and over into her hair, nuzzling her just below her ear, “I’m so fucking sorry, Nessa. I wasn’t thinking and I’ll be smart for now on. We’ll all be smart. I never meant to worry you – I just – I just – “ 

“It felt good to have power, didn’t it?” she whispered quietly, “You wanted to feel strong.” 

She felt him nod against her, ashamed by his behavior before she pulled back to hold his face between her hands, “ _Never_ feel ashamed for wanting to feel like that. To feel like nothing could touch you. It’s only natural to seek a position in life where you don’t have to fear being brought down. I never want you to feel like that’s something you need to hide from yourself, okay?” 

She waited for him to nod back before continuing on, “You just have to be smart. There’s nothing wrong with wanting power, as long as you’re wise enough to understand the consequences and temptations that come with it. Don’t flaunt you powers unwittingly, conceal them until the time is right. Don’t face every enemy that raises a brow at you but rather conserve your strength to defend those who can’t defend themselves. Don’t challenge everyone to a fight because you **will** lose.” 

“What happens if I’m fighting for you?” he asked, bringing up his knuckles to run them over the curve of her cheek, “What happens if I face an enemy who is a threat to you? Because I am telling you right now, I won’t stand down if it means risking you.” 

Vanessa shook her head at him in disbelief before breathing out, “Than you will fight but you will fight smart. So that both of us might come out of it alive, you hear me?” 

His lips crashed into hers in response, arms wrapping themselves around her waist as she lunged into his lap. She pressed against him, chest to chest as they breathed harshly in sync. His hand was still clasped to her chest, now moving down to caress the curves of her breast as she moaned into his mouth. Their kiss tasted like the salt of desperation and regret and their cheeks were sticky with tears as he flipped them around so that she was pressed back into her mattress as he hovered above her. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered against her skin, trailing hot, wet kisses down her jaw and neck, “I’m sorry.” 

She shushed him gently, gripping the back of his neck as she arched her back to press against him. Vanessa brought her hips to meet his, grinding hard against each other as he pulsed against her. It made her melt inside, heat pooling in between her thighs as she wrapped a leg around his waist to bring him closer to her. It was when her nails dug into his shoulders and his fingers teased the edge of her lacy bralette that she remembered their conversation from earlier that day. 

_“That was –“._

_"Was that okay?”_

_“That was more than okay. I just think we need to – “_

_“Slow down? Talk about it?”_

_“Yeah.”_

Vanessa was struck with that same thrilled feeling as Isaac’s tongue ran hot stripes up her throat, and as if struck with that same feeling, he pulled back to watch her with eyes that had their pupils blown up in lust. His fingers left her bra, tracing her ribs down to the hem of her night shirt before clenching in the comforter beside her head. 

“We were supposed to have that – “ 

“ _ **Talk**_ ,” he finished hoarsely, pushing himself off of her and sitting up, jaw clenched as if he had to shut it to restrain himself from resuming his ministrations with his mouth, “We need to have the _other_ talk.” 

She hefted herself up, hand hovering over her neck where she assumed more love bites were blooming to join the ones he left on her earlier, “Did you wanna go first or should – “ 

“You can go first if you want?” 

The brunette brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping an arm around them closely as she sighed, “Did you know this is my first relationship?” 

“What?” he breathed out in disbelief. 

“Yeah, this is my first relationship. Before formal, I'd never even kissed anyone. You were like that trial run that exploded and turned into a real working theory that I decided to run with. A theory that I think might actually work out,” she admitted, cheeks turning red at the cheesy analogy, “But just because it makes sense, it doesn’t mean we have to be any less careful. I just want to make sure that the speed and the motions we’re going through won’t end up messing up this thing for us.” 

“I understand,” Isaac nodded before quietly revealing, “This is my first relationship too.” 

“ _Shut the front door!_ " Vanessa exclaimed incredulously, “But your god-blessed!” 

“God-blessed?” he repeated quizzically before realization hit him like a truck, “I was that guy you were mooning over to Erica?! The one Harris wanted you to give up?!” 

“Yes, _doofus_ , which is why I didn’t say the name. I had no clue you felt that way about me so of course, I wasn’t gonna give you up!” 

“Well, shit, Nessa,” he chuckled breathlessly, running a hand through his curls as he pointed out, “We could've done this all way earlier if you did.” 

“True but there was no way I was gonna risk it.” 

He laughed at her, right in her face, falling back onto her bed. She did not find it as amusing as he did but she did enjoy seeing him so lighthearted, laying on her side to look down at him. The girl gave him a dopey smile before turning serious as she said, “I really like you. Like, I really _like_ **like** you. And I just want to make sure that we’re comfortable and safe in this relationship. I know that both of us, especially you, have felt like we have had little to no control in what goes on in our lives and I don’t want us to feel like that in this relationship. So, I want us to set up some boundaries so that we don’t end up upsetting each other or crossing lines that we didn’t want crossed. Is that okay with you?” 

Isaac had stopped laughing moments before, now staring up at her with a look of awe as he slid his hand to cradle her cheek while he said, “That’s more than okay.” 

“Good. Did you want to tell me what you’re comfortable with or did you want me to start?” 

“You can start.” 

“Okay,” she nodded, sitting up to pull her shirt over her head. 

The boy lunged up, stunned senseless as he stared at her in only her pajama shorts and lacy, white bralette. She swallowed her own less than innocent reaction at his intense attention to her body before pointing out, “I’m okay with you touching me here and here.” 

She pointed to her breast and her ass before gesturing in between her thighs with a red face, “But I don’t think I’m ready for anything down here yet, at least not until I’m more comfortable with the other stuff first. Do you understand?” 

He gulped nervously before nodding back. The girl sighed in relief before gesturing to him that it was his turn. 

“Pretty much the same thing, beautiful. I’m probably as ready for all of that as you are. I’ll wait for however long you want though,” Isaac said softly, brushing a stand of hair that fell in front of her face as he smiled at her. 

“So we both agree we’re not ready for anything more than some heavy petting and making out?” 

“Yep.” 

“Okay, cool,” she nodded to herself. 

“Awesome.” 

“Great.” 

“Spectacular.” 

They sat there staring at the bedding as silence enveloped them before Vanessa let out an exaggerated sigh, “Alright, time for bed. Goodnight!” 

The girl slipped under the covers, switching out the light as she waited for her boyfriend to join her. When his strong arms came around her once more, her lashes fluttered shut in content as she readied herself for sleep. 

“Hey, Nessa?” 

"Mmmmmmmm?" 

“Are you gonna put your shirt back on?” 

“Remember that one night I stayed over at the depot and you decided not to wear your shirt to bed? This is payback, baby.” 

Isaac’s heavy groan was music to her ears as she succumbed to exhaustion, the last thing she felt was the heat from where his hands settled on her stomach with a possessiveness that, if she wasn’t about to pass out, would have had her questioning all sudden resolutions about waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few questions:  
> \- What did you think of Derek's announcement about Vanessa and Isaac being Mates?  
> \- Do you think anyone else in the pack could be Mates or just Anchors?  
> \- What did you guys think of Vanessa's reaction to finding out Derek let Scott and Stiles' get away with Jackson? Do you think she was being a bit overdramatic or right in her suspicions that it was a bad idea?  
> \- Do you guys think Erica knows something and, if so, how do you think she will act around the couple?  
> \- What did you guys think of Sarah and Lisa welcoming Isaac back into their home (Loved it, hate it, what did you find interesting?)  
> \- What did you think about Isaac and Vanessa's talks at the end of the chapter? What did you love, hate or find interesting?


	18. Proceed With Caution (Not Cut Out For The Prison Life)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys need Vanessa's help. Per usual.  
> The gang get a new substitute for English. Guess who.  
> Allison has a talk with Vanessa, a little heart to heart - you know, about her family of werewolf hunters wanting to put a silver bullet through Scott's.  
> The girls take a sprint through the Beacon Hills Preserve to make it to the boy and the Alpha in time.
> 
> _Like I said, i'm not cut out to be a prison bitch._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I know this is shorter than the others but I wanted to build up some tension before adding the next chapter. I hope you enjoy and as always feedback and suggestions are always appreciated x

Vanessa liked to think she was a very tolerable person. She loved people; they were funny in a way that was equivalent to the amusement you got when a toddler waddled around for the first time before landing on it’s face. She loved machines even more, with their vast range and ability to connect everybody together like _one, big, happy family_. There was an exception to her tolerance though that some might have caught onto by now. And that was when people wanted to use technology to connect with her at **ungodly** hours in the fucking morning. 

The girl, who was half asleep and trying to hold onto that warm, fuzzy feeling that was dissipating with every ring of her phone, rolled over to grab at it from where it sat charging on her bedside table. She tapped at the buttons blindly, bringing it up to her ear as she groaned out, “What do you fucking want?” 

“We have Jackson in the back of a stolen police vehicle in the middle of the preserve.” 

Vanessa hung up, throwing her phone down before shoving her head back into her pillows as she snuggled deep into the warm chest of her sleeping boyfriend, humming in content as she waited. 

The phone rang again, her eyes snapping open angrily as she picked up the phone and growled out, “I’m not dealing with this shit right now. I’ll call you once I found my **will** to get arrested today.” 

The arm wrapped around her tightened it’s hold, Isaac’s sleepy voice murmuring in her ear, “Who is it? What’s wrong?” 

“Who is that?” Stiles’ voice questioned from the phone as it grew increasingly louder, “Why did that sound like Isaac Lahey?” 

“Because it was. Now, because you’re my best friend, I’m giving you to the count of five to tell me you're fucking joking and I’ll forgive you for waking me up on that premise alone.” 

“Well, I’m not joking, and we need your help,” he replied with a heavy sigh as if _she_ were the one who was frustrating _him_. 

_The fucking nerve on this kid._

“You’re just gonna call again until I get there, right?” she muttered, rolling her eyes when he said ‘ _yep_ ’ with the ‘p’ popping at the end like a little kid about to get his way. 

_He doesn’t deserve me._

“Give me half an hour.” 

The line clicked off as she turned to Isaac, who had propped himself up on his arm and was watching her with a raised brow. She didn’t really pay attention to the look he was giving her though, her eyes drifting down to memorize the hard ridges of his torso. His chest was broad, as was the requirement for Beacon Hills’ resident body checker, and because of this _spectacular_ little fact, he was very fit. _Very_ , **very** fit. 

_I’m counting one, two, three, four –_

Isaac cleared his throat, lips curled up in amusement as she blinked herself back into reality. You know, the reality in which she was staring at him like he was a four course meal and she hadn’t been fed properly for most of her life. 

_I really am one of Pavlov’s dogs, aren’t I?_

“You see something you like, Nessa?” he purred, smirking when she nodded back at him before realizing what she was doing and internally slapped herself. 

“I mean – I – um- I – I was just – _ugh!_ – just get dressed!” she exclaimed before leaping out of bed. 

_I am literally living on less than a brain cell because of just being woken up and even that’s failing me._

Her boyfriend stretched out on the space she retreated, clearly not planning to leave her bed anytime soon but instead content to just watch her as she ripped open her closet door and started rifling through it. Or more specifically, content to watch her ass as she bent over because it was getting close to summer and that meant **booty shorts**. 

“What did Stiles want?” he called out to her while she was trying to pick between a pair of jeans and a skirt. 

“He and Scott did something really dumb and they need my help,” she mumbled back as she held up the two articles of clothing, “Per usual. Skirt or jeans?” 

“I like what you’re in already,” he smiled up at her, “Just come back to bed. We can sleep in all day, doesn’t that sound fun?” 

The girl shook her head at him as a reluctant smile appeared on her face, “As much as I _love_ that idea, Handsome, we have to get up anyway. The Econ exam is today and we need to be there or we don’t pass.” 

“You’re _really_ thinking about school right now? With everything else happening?” 

“School is just as important as supernatural business. Because once the dust settles and the crazy battles with hunters and kanimas are done, we will be back to doing what we usually do. Life. And life for a teenagers means preparing for the future. If we want a future, we need a half-assed education. So, off to school.” 

“I’d say if we want a future, we should focus on _staying alive_ ,” Isaac drawled from where he was laying on his stomach, waving off his sarcasm as he went, “But you know, you do you.” 

Vanessa threw back her head laughing at his naivety before tutting him, “No, hot-stuff, we do _we_. If you think I’m letting you fail Econ, you have another thing coming!” 

“I’m gonna fail Econ anyway. Being a fugitive doesn’t give you much time to study, Ness.” 

She shot him a sharp look, narrowing her eyes at him, “I _distinctly_ remember dropping off textbooks the first night I visited the depot so that you could study so _not only_ did you just lie to me, your argument has been rendered null and void.” 

“Ever think about becoming a lawyer?” 

The girl bounded over to the bed and laid a quick kiss on his lips, pulling back a hair’s breadth to whisper, “Can only do that with an education, honey, so get your ass up!” 

After an hour of persuading Isaac to get up and get dressed – bribing him with kisses worked which she noted for the future – and finally picking a pair of black skinny jeans that her boyfriend showed his approval of – by shoving his hand into the back pocket as soon as she came out of the bathroom with them on, they had finally made it to the car and had driven to the preserve, Isaac tracking the two boys by scent to a track just off the look out. 

They pulled up beside the stolen police van, the couple exchanging deep, heavy sighs for what was to come as they stepped out into the cool, morning air. Scott and Stiles rushed over to them, shooting suspicious glances at Isaac before turning to the girl. 

“Why’d you bring **_him?!_** ” Stiles whispered harshly to her, gesturing to the smirking boy. 

“ ** _He_** can hear you and he was with me when you called me. Besides, I’m giving him a lift to school.” 

“Why was he there at that time in the morning?” 

“What do you think, ass for brains? Now where's Jackson? Do you seriously have the guy locked up in the police van?” 

“Did you get him some clothes?” Isaac asked, frowning as he considered the vehicle sitting next to him, “Last time I saw him, he was nude and bloody. Tell me you two losers at least managed to help with one of them.” 

“Correction, _jerk_ , we helped with both of those things,” Stiles shot back, crossing his arms over his chest proudly. 

Scott rolled his eyes at their best friend before telling her, “We don’t know what to do with him. The midterms are today but we can’t leave him here alone in case he changes and tries to kill someone again.” 

“So you want me to – what?” she shook her head confused, “Babysit the guy you kidnapped who has the ability to shapeshift into a psycho murder snake and paralyze people with one tiny scratch before mauling you to death? You want the _human female_ to do that?” 

Isaac growled at the mere suggestion, pressing close against her back and enveloping her with heat as he flashed his eyes at the two boys in front of them. 

Stiles gulped nervously, pawing at Scott dramatically while the other boy ignored the werewolf shooting golden death glares at him as he shook his head, “I was thinking more like calling Derek.” 

Vanessa nodded in agreement, “Okay, give me a moment. He might not pick up straight away.” 

Except the Alpha did and he was not happy to discover what Scott and Stiles’ grand plan was. 

“They locked him in a _what_ and put him _where_?” 

“A stolen police van in the middle of Beacon Hills Preserve,” she drawled as she raised an eyebrow at the two sheepish looking boys while Isaac chuckled behind her at her dry tone. 

“That is the last time I’m letting Scott make a decision,” Derek grunted before adding, “I’ll be there in ten. Get to school before somebody realizes that half their class is missing.” 

As soon as he hung up, the girl turned to the boys with her hands on her hips, “Good news, Derek’s taking over for guard duty. Bad news, that means you boys will never be trusted with such an important task again and it also means you guys will be coming back with us to face the Econ exam. Yay!” 

“Um, not yay. Yes, our plan might’ve been to keep the guy locked up in a van in the middle of the woods – “ 

“ _Not_ sketchy at all – “ 

“But Derek’s plan would be to actually **kill** Jackson, so I think we’re the lesser of two evils,” Stiles insisted, ignoring Isaac’s sarcastic interruption as he jutted his chin out stubbornly, “No way am I leaving Derek alone with him.” 

“Fine, you can stay. The two of you, get in the car.” 

Scott groaned as she hopped into her Ford, revving the engine to drown out Isaac’s dry comment about how he wasn’t too pleased about going to school either. 

\- 

They had made it to school just before the start of English, Vanessa having given Isaac a parting kiss while Scott gagged in the background before punching the boy in the shoulder and skipping over to her desk beside Allison. The dark-haired girl immediately leaned over to tell her something important by the look of her frantic, wide eyes when the click clack of heels slowly moving towards them made her freeze. Allison frowned, familiar with the sound but not making sense of hearing them right there in the school when a loud, strong feminine voice broke the chatter. 

“I’m afraid your teacher was feeling **ill** today and had to leave early. So, _unfortunately_ , you’re stuck with me as a substitute,” Victoria Argent grinned, leaning against the wooden desk at the front of their classroom as her piercing blue eyes travelled over the students sitting in front of her. 

The woman tilted her head at Scott, narrowing her eyes at the boy who was the very creature she agreed to have killed off in revenge for her sister in law’s death before sliding up to Vanessa, who shivered at the scary lady and finally setting her sights on her daughter. Allison stiffened at her mother’s attention, fear creeping up her spine when the woman looked between her and her ex-boyfriend suggestively, as if she knew that they had been sneaking around. 

“Can anyone catch me up to speed on where we are?” the woman asked innocently before turning to Scott, “Mr McCall, how ‘bout you?” 

Vanessa and Allison watched on the edge of their seats as Scott cleared his throat uncomfortably, flipping through the pages of the book in front of him. Their new substitute teacher did that for the rest of the class, calling on them to answer question after question as if she was rubbing it in their faces that they wouldn’t know because they were too busy dealing with the crazy shit that happened during the full moon like their friends turning into feral werewolves that were being chased down by hunters and that other stuff they had to worry about on a daily basis like avoiding before killed by psycho lizards people. 

_We get it, lady. No one has time to talk about Kafka’s fucking Metamorphosis when your best friend is metamorphosing every time the moon is all bright and shiny!_

The Argents were getting on her last nerve – _not Allison, because Allie was a sweetheart_ – but her fucking family were everywhere they turned! Scott turns around to help her out of the car to go to the hospital, there’s Gerard with a fucking knife. Derek and his pack are out hunting the kanima, there’s Chris and his stupid fucking guns. They go to English on a Friday morning and expect to have some fucking peace but no. Victoria Argent struts in looking like a she-devil with her heels and flaming red hair with daggers shooting out of her eyes. 

They were **everywhere** and they were closing in on them fast. Today, the kanima might be their biggest problem but for the rest of their lives, Argent and those like them will always be there waiting for them to fuck up so they could get their best shot in. And she had a lot of plans that included all her best friends alive and preferably in one piece. 

_That’s right Gerard, no sword cutting motherfucker is swooping in today, tomorrow or ten fucking years from now. Not while I’m still alive and kicking._

\- 

When they were heading out, Allison was called back in by her mother, Vanessa pushing Scott out of the classroom, so they didn’t look like a bunch of freaks crowding around the door. The girl signaled with her hand to listen in on the conversation between mother and daughter as they waited at the end of the hall for their friend to come out. 

“She’s asking about her calls to Stiles,” Scott began telling her, cocking his head in that way they did when they were listening to something she couldn't hear, “She made an excuse about spying on Lydia and using Stiles’ crush to get him to give up information.” 

Vanessa snorted, rolling her eyes at that. 

_Nice excuse, Allie. Stiles would never pass up a chance to talk about Lydia and everybody from here to Nevada knows that._

“Mrs Argent is talking about me.” 

“What is she saying? Does it sound bad? Does it sound like she knows?” 

“No, she’s telling her how strong she is about breaking up with me and not showing how bad it hurts. She’s saying that she’s strong because she’s not like the other girls who want guys to take them to prom?” 

_Wow, for such a progressive family, feminism has it’s limits for Mrs Argent it seems._

They turned away when Victoria appeared at the doorway, arm held out to stop her daughter from leaving as she murmured something with a crazed gleam in her eye before letting Allison push past her. The girl looked spooked, almost disgusted by whatever her mother had told her and as she walked into the opposite direction, Vanessa had to restrain herself from running after her and making sure she was alright. 

Because Victoria’s eyes had landed on the pair of friends standing by the lockers and they felt that glare of hers burning through their backs all the way around the corner and out of sight. 

“What did she say to Allie? She looked like she was about to throw up!” 

Scott leaned his head back against the locker before muttering angrily, “She said that if Allison doesn’t stay strong, she will be the reason they have to kill me.” 

And that was enough to send Vanessa running towards the roof, knowing that was where her friend would go when she wanted to break down without it causing her boyfriend’s untimely death. She had turned back briefly to watch her best friend bang his head against the lockers in frustration that he couldn’t come with her. That he couldn’t be the one to rush to his girlfriend and make sure she was alright. 

_Fucking Argents and their goals to ruin teenage love affairs forever._

When Vanessa found Allison, the girl had her head held in her hands as she choked back sobs in fear that Victoria might hear them from wherever she was and load a bullet with Scott’s name on it. 

She watched as the girl peeked through her fingers at the sound of the door opening, sighing in relief when she saw that it was just the short brunette and not the terrifying monster of a woman she called Mother. Vanessa smiled softly in sympathy before crouching down in front of her with a hand on her knee. 

“I guess you both heard it, didn’t you?” Allison asked, leaning her head against the stone ledge she sat against and breathing deeply through her nose. 

“Scott wanted to come but he couldn’t risk your folks getting more suspicious,” Vanessa sighed regretfully as she took a seat next to the girl, both of them staring at the door in wariness of who might walk through next. 

“ **I hate this!** ” the dark-haired girl exclaimed, causing the short brunette to flinch at the unexpected outburst, “I **hate** not being with him! Not kissing him before going to class, not hugging him when I see him on the steps in the morning. Not being able to hold hands as we walk the halls or laugh together at my locker as I get my stuff for the next class. It **_kills_** me and they don’t care because they’re too busy wanting to kill him!” 

Vanessa slung an arm around her friend’s shoulders, bring her close as she wrapped her up in a comforting hug, “I know, sweetie, I know. Maybe we might be able to convince them he isn’t the threat, that none of them are as big as a threat as they make them out to be. Maybe we might make a deal with them someday in the future for peace but as long as your grandfather is out for blood, I don’t think they will truly rest until they have their fair share.” 

“Didn’t you say that he might have an ulterior motive though?” Allison questioned, turning to face her with a frown, “That he wanted something from Scott. And that you had a plan to find out what it was?” 

“Gerard hasn’t approached him yet,” Vanessa replied, shaking her head as she furrowed her brow in thought, “Your grandfather wants something, Allie, and I don’t think it’s just revenge for Kate. I think it’s something bigger than that. Something he doesn’t want your family to find out about.” 

“Oh shit!” the other girl breathed out, eyes wide in panic, “I forgot to tell you guys. We need to get Stiles. _ **Right. Now**_.” 

“How bad is it on a scale of one to ten?” 

“The police know Jackson’s missing and are out looking for him.” 

“I fucking **knew** we were going to be arrested today!” 

\- 

Now, Vanessa didn’t condone ditching school. She has only had the need to do so only a few times, usually with her parent’s consent and only if it was of extreme importance. While she didn’t have the whole "parental consent" going on, the extreme importance was definently there. Which was why she was also speeding – something she had been very precarious about since that little stunt with running over Derek a couple of months back - towards the Beacon Hills preserve and hoping that nobody in the Sheriff's Department were patrolling the backroads so early in the day. 

_Yeah, it was **that** fucking important. They were way too young to go to jail. And way too pretty._

She was not cut out to be a prison bitch, okay?! It just wasn’t happening. **_Ever_**. Which motivated her to actually sprint through the Beacon Hills Preserve – she never liked running so this was a miraculous feat that would probably never be seen again if she had anything to say about it. 

They saw the van in between the trees and the two males standing beside it. Actually, Derek kind of looked like he was five seconds away from tearing out Stiles’ throat while the boy was throwing his hands up in hand gestures that looked like they paired up nicely with some really annoying dialogue and while Vanessa would **love** to have her best friend taken down a peg or two, she didn’t really fancy Derek’s way of doing it. 

“ **HEY!** ” she screamed at them, the two girls bounded up, panting and sweating with the pure panic and the strenuous torture that was long distance running. 

“What are you guys doing here?” Stiles’ exclaimed, sending Derek a glare before chucking a bottle of water at them, “Aren’t you supposed to be at school?” 

“They know,” Allison gasped out, straightening up to face the two as she explained, “They know Jackson’s missing!” 

“No, they can’t. I’ve been texting his parents since last night. They don’t have a clue.” 

The dark-haired girl shook her head, “My grandfather told me his parents went to the police. They _know_.” 

Stiles’ eyes widened in horror as they darted down to the phone in his hands, gasping in panic at the realization that he was holding onto evidence in a **_crime_**. He dropped the phone on the ground before scrambling back against the van, ripping open the doors and turning on the radio as dispatch crackled through. 

**_“All available units proceed to Beacon Hills Preserve as instructed. Proceed with caution until Sheriff Stilinski’s arrival. Repeat: Proceed with caution.”_**

Stiles’ jerked back like he had been slapped as Derek grunted out, “Everybody in the van now. **Now**.” 

Vanessa quickly picked up the phone that had been dropped, wiping it for prints before using her jacket to throw it further into the woods as she and Allison headed for the passengers side. The two girls exchanged a look of understanding before the taller of the two went in first, Vanessa going next and taking a seat on her friend’s lap before turning to watch the two guys hurry to sit in the driver’s seat. In his panic to get the hell out of there, Stiles had jumped in. 

After Derek had already taken the driver’s seat. 

And now he was sitting in the Alpha’s lap as the two looked at each other in something akin to shock, anger, horror and terror. 

If they weren’t about to get arrested by the _entire_ Sheriff’s department, Vanessa would have pissed herself laughing at the scene before her. But because she was terrified of being a prison bitch for trying to stop some stupid lacrosse jock from turning into a psycho lizard and murdering people, she wasn’t exactly in the laughing mood. 

“ **GET OVER YOURSELVES AND GET US THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!** ” she screamed at them, uncaring if it hurt Derek’s sensitive ears. The werewolf instinctively slammed his foot down on the exhilarator and sped off as Stiles hurried to steer. 

“Where to?” 

“Anywhere but there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few questions:  
> \- Who thinks that the boys need Vanessa's help all the time? Is their plan really dumb or is Vanessa exaggerating?  
> \- Who liked the little morning scene between Isaac and Vanessa? What did you like about it?  
> \- Who doesn't like Victoria Argent and who doesn't mind her?   
> \- Did anyone like Allison and Vanessa's heart to heart?  
> \- Who else can't stand running? Like, I literally can't run without someone pointing out that I look like a girl - like I fucking am a girl, so I don't see why people keep saying it like that but whatever.  
> \- Am I the only one who has a really platonic understanding with my girlfriends that if there isn't anywhere to sit at a table or in a car, we'll just sit on one anothers laps and be completely chill about it or is that us?  
> \- Did anyone find that last bit with Derek and Stiles fucking hilarious? Because I couldn't stop laughing when I was writing it. Does anyone want more funny (and slightly suggestive) scenes between the two?! Do you recommend some?   
> \- Comment down below any suggestions and I will try to add them into my story and make sure to credit them to you!


	19. The Boy In The Van (Scales Under His Skin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanessa, Allison, Stiles and Derek escape the police and the latter two try to untangle themselves from an uncomfortable position.  
> The gang (excluding Derek who might have stormed off) talk about what to do with the theory that someone might be protecting Jackson.  
> Vanessa and Lydia have their heart to heart moment - which might be a bit different considering it's a "heart to heart" between _Lydia Martin_ and _Vanessa O'Connor_.  
> Jackson escapes, the girls have a sleepover, a proper translation of the Bestiary is done and everything changes.  
> Scott and Stiles let Vanessa know that she isn't going to end up in prison.  
> Overall, it's been a very tiring day and sleep is just what the doctor ordered.  
> Oh, and guess who just had S-E-X!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everybody enjoys this chapter! It might be kind of plot heavy but there will be a special surprise in the next chapter for those of you that are just dying for some fluffy and angsty Vanessa and Isaac moments so stay tuned!  
> Remember that feedback and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated so don't be afraid to leave a comment down below! Thank you guys x

After parking at the Look Out across the forest from where they had originally parked the van, they all waited for several moments while Derek listened out for the Sheriff’s department. When he gave the all clear, all three teenagers sighed in relief before it became abundantly clear the positions they were in. More specifically, the position _Derek and Stiles were in_. Allison, who was rightfully wary of the Alpha for many reasons, actually forgot about her discomfort enough to laugh at them. Vanessa shoved her face in the dashboard as her shoulders shook, pointing at them both as she wheezed out. 

“This-is- _too_ funny- to – where the fuck is my phone? – I need to film this.” 

At the word "film", the werewolf and the boy hurtled themselves out of the van with Stiles unceremoniously falling out while Derek effortlessly slid around him to scrunch his nose up at the air in disgust. The werewolf stormed off into the distance, leaving the two girls to giggle madly amongst one another while Stiles’ got up and brushed himself off, throwing a threatening look at their amusement. 

“We are **never** speaking of this to _anyone_. Understand?” he pointed a warning finger at them both, “ ** _Ne-ver._** ” 

The two girls mimed zipping their lips shut, smiling at him innocently. The boy rolled his eyes before waving his hand eccentrically as he asked, “Someone call Scott and tell him that we moved so he doesn’t _**literally**_ walk into a man hunt.” 

Allison volunteered for that, heading to a large rock a few feet away and calling the boy up while Vanessa sidled up next to her best friend, sending him a smirk as she asked, “So, you and Derek looked _mighty **comfortable**_ back there – “ 

“Not a single fucking word, Nessa, or I will kill you.” 

They waited for an hour in silence, the two girls exchanging amused looks as Stiles’ eyes darted around frantically for his best friend to show up. The boy arrived a few moments later, jogging up to them all with his brows furrowed in concern. 

“Where’s Derek?” 

“That’s a **good** question,” Vanessa drawled mischievously, flickering her eyes to the boy sitting next to her as she asked, “Stiles, do you want to tell Scott where Derek is?” 

“He. Left.” 

“Do you wanna tell him _why?_ ” 

Stiles gestured at his neck to signal ‘ _cut it out_ ’ before Scott rolled his eyes at them both before waving them off. 

“I don’t really care guys. What’s important is that you’re all okay.” 

He rushed up to Allison, wrapping his girlfriend up in a big hug as his two best friends watched disgruntled. 

“Yeah, you _really_ care that _all of us_ are okay!” 

“Where’s our hug, Scotty?” 

“I wanna kiss too. Give me a kiss!” 

“Yeah, we all know who _you_ wanna kiss now, _don’t we_ Stiles?” 

“Shut up before I push you over the cliff, Vanessa.” 

Scott and Allison ignored the two bickering friends, pressing close as the girl murmured reassurances that they were all okay and they had gotten away in time before the Sheriff’s department had even arrived. 

“What took you so long?” Allison asked as they turned back to their friends. 

“I visited Danny to try to find out why Jackson would go after him.” 

“What did you find out?” 

“The only think he could think of was something about a video that Jackson made and asked him to check for editing. It was supposedly on a tablet in the back of Danny’s car back at Jungle but when I went to look for it, it wasn’t there.” 

“So Jackson stole it?” Vanessa asked dubiously, her and Stiles finally tuning back into the conversation. 

“We could ask him?” Allison murmured quietly, holding up her hands in surrender when Stiles shot her a ' _get real_ ' look. 

“If Jackson doesn’t remember being the kanima, he’s definently not gonna remember stealing Danny’s tablet,” Scott scratched the back of his head as they headed down to the Look Out. 

“Why would he steal the thing if he doesn’t even know what’s on it?” Stiles asked. 

“What if someone else took it?” Allison suggested with her hands on her hips. 

Vanessa frowned, “How would anyone know to steal it?” 

“Because they would know what he is!” 

“Which could mean someone’s protecting him,” Scott realized, heading swing between them all. 

“Like the Bestiary says, ‘the kanima seeks a friend’, right?” 

The short brunette turned to the girl beside her and posed a question that had been on her mind, “What if Miss Morell translated it wrong? She did say that some of the words were tricky to interpret. Friend could be a very loose interpretation of the word.” 

“What’s the difference if the word is ‘friend’ or not? There’s still someone out there who knows about him. Who’s helping him,” Scott threw out, Stiles’ nodding in agreement beside his best friend. 

“It makes all the difference if the person isn’t actually a friend. It could mean something completely different, have more significance in this thing than someone just protecting Jackson from knowing about himself,” Vanessa argued back. 

“There’s something else,” Scott added as he turned to Stiles’ with brows furrowed, “You said the only thing you found online about the kanima is that it goes after murderers. What if that’s actually true?” 

“No, it can’t be. It tried to kill all of us, remember?” Stiles pointed out, shaking his head at them all, “I don’t know about you guys, but I haven’t murdered anyone lately.” 

“But I-I don’t think it was actually trying to kill us. Remember when we were at Isaac’s the first time?” Scott turned to Allison, who nodded hesitantly at the glares that Vanessa was sending her best friend, “It just went right by us. Didn’t it?” 

“You’re right, it just ran off.” 

“And it didn’t kill you in the mechanic’s garage,” he said as he turned to Stiles. 

“Well, yeah, but it tried to kill me and Derek at the pool. It knocked Vanessa unconscious – “ 

“That’s the thing. She was vulnerable. It could have killed her, but it didn’t!” 

Despite the unsettling reminder that she could be dead by now, Scott had a point. She remembered that night at the Hale House when Peter took down everybody outside. She had realized then that he was trying to get them out of the road so he could get to Kate without anyone interfering. Maybe, this was something similar. Maybe Scott was onto something. 

“It was waiting for us to come out!” 

“What if it was trying to keep you in?” 

Stiles gaped in disbelief before whispering, “Why do I feel so violated all of a sudden?” 

“Because there’s something else going on. We don’t know what it is. We don’t know anything about what’s going on with Jackson or why someone’s protecting him.” 

Allison nodded to herself before interrupting Scott’s tirade by quoting a famous line from the Art of War, “ _Know thy enemy_ ”. It’s just something my grandfather told me.” 

“In order to win a war, one but know everything they can about one’s enemy,” Vanessa smirked at their bewildered faces before explaining, “I like History, okay? Especially military history, it’s interesting.” 

The dark-haired girl frowned at her for a second before Stiles moved on to suggest what their next move should be. 

“Alright, I got it. Kill Jackson. Problem solved.” 

All three teenagers looked over at him with a raised eyebrow as he stared at them with his arms raised. 

“He risked his life for us!” Scott reasoned as his voice grew louder, “Against Peter, you remember that?” 

“Yes, but what did we find out? He got the bite from Derek! It’s funny how he got _exactly_ what he wanted by _supposedly_ risking his life for us, it’s funny.” 

“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean – “ 

“Oh, will you two just shut up!?” Vanessa shouted, massaging her temples as a headache started building up, “This is not up for debate! I didn’t negotiate with Derek to spare Jackson yesterday just so you two could argue over if he should die _today_! He’s a kid. He’s our friend – sort of – and we should always look for non-violent alternative before we start considering putting someone down.” 

The two boys looked properly chastised as she continued, “Unless we get undeniable proof about what he is, he won’t believe us and therefore won’t cooperate. We can’t let him run loose because he will turn again. I don’t know how long we can keep him like this until the police find us but all I know, is that right now, Jackson has no clue what is happening to him. He’s scared – _he won’t admit it for the **life of him** but he’s fucking **scared**_ – and locked in a police van in the middle of nowhere with two guys that used to hate his guts acting as his prison guards.” 

“What’s your point?” 

“My point is that we need to stop wasting time arguing and start acting. We need to find a way to stop him from turning, we need to find out who stole that tablet and we need to find out more about kanimas because all we know is that they can paralyze you, go after murderers and apparently have a special friend. So, here’s the plan.” 

\- 

The group gathered around her as she gave them directions. Vanessa and Stiles would be swinging by to check on Lydia while Allison and Scott would stay behind to guard Jackson. The girl had already called up Erica and Isaac to check that Derek had made it back to the Den without coming across the cops when they pulled up to Lydia’s. Stiles’ leg bounced as they sat there, his eyes glued to the house as his hands fisted nervously in his shirt. 

“Jesus fucking Christ, _chill the fuck out!_ ” she exclaimed, gripping his knee and forcing it down, “You’re going to check on her mental health, not ask her for her hand in marriage!” 

“It’s not that. She’s still pissed at me.” 

“For what?” 

“The night the kanima cornered us at the pool, I told he that I would talk to her because she was crying in her car.” 

“But I found you in the office and took you to the pool – “ her eyes widened in realization as her mouth formed ‘o’ shape, “And you ditched her.” 

“Yep.” 

“Yeah, you’re ten times too screwed to be alive right now.” 

“You bettcha.” 

“This isn’t gonna end well.” 

And it didn’t. Lydia had opened the door with a raised eyebrow at Vanessa before noticing the guilty looking boy shuffling his feet behind her with an awkward smile. With the mightiest glare Vanessa had ever witnessed, Lydia drew back the door and slammed it shut in their faces, leaving the two best friends standing there wincing at the cold shoulder the girl had given them, or more accurately, given Stiles. 

Vanessa turned to Stiles’ and suggested kindly, “Maybe you should go back to Scott and Allison?” 

He sighed reluctantly, staring longingly at the door as if he could make Lydia open it just by wishing hard. Vanessa stared at her friend in pity before fishing in her pocket for her keys and holding them out to him as if they would make up for the guilt he was feeling. The boy snatched them up, giving her a nod before heading to her car. She waited until he had pulled out and disappeared down the street before turning back to the door. She knocked a few times and waited patiently as the sound of footsteps echoed on the other side. 

“Relax, Lydia, it’s only me,” Vanessa called to the girl looking through the peep hole, “I sent him off.” 

The door lock clicked and opened slowly as the red head peeked through with her eyes narrowed suspiciously before pushing it open and leaning against the doorway with an expectant look. 

“What do you want? Are you here to make sure I keep quiet? Newsflash, Allison beat you to it.” 

“I was gonna ask if you wanted to get out of the house,” Vanessa smiled kindly before adding, “I know you probably want answers and it seems I’m the only one willing to give them to you.” 

Lydia’s eyes flashed with interest before resuming their indifference as she made a big show of considering it for a moment before pursuing her lips and telling the girl, “Let me get a jacket. You’re shouting dinner.” 

“Of course, I am,” the brunette rolled her eyes as she waited for the girl to get her stuff. 

\- 

The two hopped into the car and headed downtown as Vanessa asked, “Alright, give the details. Gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, don’t give a shit. Which one is it?” 

“Don’t give a shit but with less grease,” Lydia tilted her head at the girl before adding, “I know a place.” 

It was small diner, new by the looks of things, and seemingly popular with the teenagers. They passed a few kids from school who gawked at the two girls as they entered the building and they were both reminded that they, alongside Allison, were pariahs still. Lydia, the girl who ran around the woods naked for two days straight and Vanessa, who hid and supposedly pissed herself in the back of her best friends jeep after supposedly telling the psycho trying to kill them to go after her friends. At least Vanessa had the peace of mind knowing that what was said about her were lies. Lydia did not have that luxury, but she _was_ Lydia Martin and she **did not** cower at the whispers of those she deemed below her. 

Which was the entire population of Beacon Hills high school, staff included. 

_I would love to see what would happen if Lydia and Gerard had a face off. It would be hilarious, and I think the strawberry blonde would win. We could win the war with Lydia Martin on the frontlines._

She followed the girl to a booth in a secluded corner of the room, snatching up their menus and picking out their respective meals as a waitress in a cute yellow frock came and asked for their orders. After that, the girls faced off against each other and Vanessa was reminded yet again that this was the same girl she used to turn away from in the halls, the same girl who she used to emulate with the new dresses she wore and the way she walked. Lydia Martin was her idol and she never even knew it. 

“I want answers and I don’t want lies,” Lydia demanded, leaning back with her arms crossed over her chest. 

“Then ask your questions and I’ll answer them.” 

“What happened last night at Scott’s?” 

“I don’t know exactly,” Vanessa admitted truthfully, “I was outside the entire time. But I know that Jackson attacked Stiles and Allison. And then Isaac, Erica and Boyd went in to check what was happening and they tried to fight off Jackson when Scott and Derek showed up and scared him off.” 

“Yes, but why did Jackson attack them? I’m not stupid, I know something's not right with him. Not right with any one of them since Winter Formal. I was **bitten** by a _goddamn random guy_ and ran around the woods, naked as the day I was born, for two days straight and I know that isn’t normal and it all began with _**that night**_.” 

“You want the truth? No matter how unbelievable it might seem? No matter how much you don’t want to believe it's true?” 

“Yes. I can take it.” 

“Fine,” Vanessa said adamantly before continuing on to reveal, “Werewolves exist, and you were bitten by one.” 

Lydia sat back at that, eyes wide with disbelief but she didn’t say anything, so the other girl continued on. 

“You were bitten by an Alpha named Peter Hale. An act that should have turned you into a werewolf but didn’t for some unknown reason. Jackson was also bitten but not by Peter. And just like you, he wasn’t turned into a werewolf either. We thought that whatever made you immune to the infection must have been passed along to Jackson until last night when he changed. It turns out, Jackson is what you call a kanima. A reptilian shapeshifter that goes after murderers and has the ability to paralyze a person with a single scratch. When he turns into this creature he has no control over his actions and will seek to kill. Why, we don’t know yet. But we will and when we do, we’re hoping we will also find a cure.” 

The waitress came back with their orders, placing a chicken salad in front of Lydia and a cheeseburger with fries in front of Vanessa, the two girls thanking the woman before she walked off. Vanessa took a sip of her cola as she waited for the other girl to process everything she had revealed. 

“You’re crazy. You’re lying _and_ you’re crazy,” Lydia breathed out. 

“As crazy as running naked in the woods in the middle of fucking winter?” 

The strawberry blonde sat back, “It can’t be.” 

“But it makes a hell of a lot of sense than everything you would have thought up on your own. Rabies, homeless man, normal infection, fever. Lydia, you’re the smartest girl in town. You have a genius level IQ that could rival the world’s greatest minds. This isn’t as unbelievable as you're making it out to be.” 

“It should be. It should be unbelievable,” Lydia shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes as she spat out, “Why me? Why did he bite _me_?” 

“That’s the second part. You’re not the first-person Peter bit with the intent of changing into a werewolf. He bit Scott the month before and he succeeded. Scott's a werewolf and because you are his...….friend, you were targeted with the intent of being collateral damage for defying Peter.” 

“And what makes you think I won’t tell everyone just that! That Scott – and I can’t believe I’m _actually_ saying this – is a **werewolf**.” 

“One, 'cause if you don't think you’re a pariah in this town right now, you will be after making _that_ comment. Two, because that means also exposing Jackson - which I know you won’t do. Despite him breaking up with you and being a first-class dickhead, you still love him. _Don’t even bother denying it_ ,” she shot at the girl when Lydia opened her mouth to protest the claim, 

“Thirdly, there are people who will **_actually_** believe you. Unfortunately for _you_ , they don’t exactly trust you. In fact, if you're shown to have too much knowledge, they just might kill you. Me, Scott, Allison and Stiles are the _only_ people standing in the way of that and we will continue to do so. But if you don’t work with us on this, if you rush out of here and into the open, we can’t guarantee your safety.” 

“Why didn’t Allison tell me this?” Lydia questioned to herself quietly, a stray tear trailing down her cheek. 

“I don’t know. To protect you from the truth that weighs on all of us. All I know is that I’ve known you for years now. We might’ve never been friends – **hell** , you declared me and my friends losers on the first day of freshmen year without even knowing our names – but I know you’re strong. You prove it by walking into school everyday with your head held high. You prove it with the iron fist you grip the _entire_ school in as you walk past. Although you might have lost the popularity and friendship you once had, you **_still_** command their respect. You survived Peter, you survived walking into a forest in the middle of winter naked and you will continue to survive whatever else that is thrown at you. Even if it is the truth. Tell me I’m wrong.” 

The strawberry blonde swiped her thumbs under her eyes, took a whole five minutes to pull out her compact mirror and fix her goddamn mascara but in the end, those cunning emerald eyes flickered up with a determination that made Vanessa’s own eyes smile back in pride as Lydia Martin pursued her lips before smirking. 

“You’re not wrong.” 

They smiled at each other before digging into their food. And if Lydia’s hand shook as she forked a piece of lettuce, Vanessa didn’t notice nor did she say anything to call her out. Because Lydia was stronger than any ‘ _are you okay?_ ’ or ‘ _you’re going to be fine_ ’. Addressing her fear was like pointing out the fingers on your hands. It didn’t make her any less shaken, it just made everybody that much aware of what she was trying to deal with in her own way. 

As they were making their way out of the diner after polishing off their plates – Vanessa made a note to take Isaac there sometime when they weren’t running for their lives or weren’t on the brink of passing out – when her phone rang, Allison’s caller ID coming up on her phone. 

“Hey, what’s up? Everything okay?” 

“Jackson’s escaped. Meet me at mine in half an hour.” 

“Everything is _not_ okay than,” Vanessa muttered drily, despite the fear travelling up her spine as she grabbed Lydia’s hand and hurried across the parking lot to the Ford. 

“What’s wrong? Where are we going?” Lydia questioned as they hopped in and started off in the direction of the Argent house. 

“Your ex is on a murderous rampage as we speak,” the brunette explained through gritted teeth as she stepped on it, speeding through the traffic lights, “We need to get off the streets and somewhere safe. So we’re going to the one place that I know we’ll be safest.” 

“Where’s that?” 

“Remember those people I said would kill you if they thought you were a threat? They happen to be Allison’s parents. They’re what you might call hunters, trained from childhood to kill supernatural creatures who threaten the safety of innocent citizens. They _also_ happen to have a mini armory beneath their house, so right now, they’re our best choice of safety.” 

“Great,” Lydia sighed heavily before settling back into her seat, eyes watching the window warily as trees and houses sped by in a blur. 

\- 

Instead of getting there in half an hour, Vanessa had them parked down the street from the Argent’s place in fifteen minutes. The two girls hurried along the darkened street, sighting Allison waiting in the driveway for them and sighing in relief. 

“If anyone asks, we’re studying for midterms and you’re both sleeping over,” the dark-haired girl threw over her shoulder as they approached the front door. 

“Goodie,” Lydia drawled sarcastically, smiling sweetly as they entered the house to find Allison’s father pacing holes into the carpet while a loud chopping sound echoed through from the kitchen. 

“Sorry I’m late, study group took a bit longer than I expected,” Allison called out to the family, stiffening slightly when Gerard walked around the corner to fix his cold, calculating eyes on the trio as a small smile curled onto his withered face. 

“Ah, I remember the days,” he reminisced to himself as he wrapped his arms around his granddaughter, grinning at the two girls behind her before pulling back to murmur, “We’re glad you got home safely. It’s getting a bit late, don’t you think.” 

“More than a bit,” Chris grounded out from behind him, “It’s going onto ten.” 

“Everything is fine now, Christopher. Allison is home and she has brought her friends along with her,” Gerard turned to them with a raised brow, “Am I correct in assuming they will be staying the night?” 

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Allison said quietly, soft tone at odds with the defiant jut of her jaw. 

“Of course not, sweetheart. Have they eaten?” 

“We went out for dinner at that new diner downtown,” Vanessa interjected, smiling sweetly while staring daggers as she took the blame, “It was my idea, I apologize. I didn’t know how late it was until my Mom came in from finishing her shift.” 

To their credit, neither of the two girls beside her blinked an eyelid at her blatant lie. She was grateful for their ability to act but it was probably more due to their fear that they would be caught and punished rather than having the natural inclination to go along with it. 

Gerard waved them along, a clear dismissal as Chris sighed out heavily, “Just don’t do it again.” 

Allison nodded before leading the two girls upstairs to her bedroom. When the door was closed, the dark-haired girl gasped out in relief before throwing her stuff down in the corner and taking a seat on her bed as she ran a hand through her curls. Vanessa took the desk chair and Lydia took the beanbag in the corner as they watched their friend breathe in through her nose and out through her mouth. 

“Is your room safe to talk?” Vanessa asked, breaking the silence as the two girl’s whipped their heads up at her. 

“It better be or I'll move out,” Allison laughed nervously before falling back onto her bed. She realized Lydia was sitting in the corner and shot a warning look at the other girl who waved it off before explaining. 

“She knows.” 

“And you didn’t think to let me know before you did told her?” 

“I made a choice in the moment and I don’t regret it,” Vanessa defended as she turned to the red head, “You can handle it right?” 

Lydia nodded, albeit a bit hesitantly, which didn’t really build a strong argument, but Vanessa would take what she could get. 

“What _exactly_ does she know?” 

“Everything that we know which is next to nothing. Where’s the Bestiary?” 

“A Bestiary?” Lydia quirked a brow at that, “Are you telling me those things are true?” 

“You know what a Bestiary is?” Allison frowned at the girl. 

“Sweetie, please,” the strawberry blonde waved her off, “I’m not a moron.” 

The dark-haired girl ducked her head to veil her blush before walking over to her desk, pulling it up on her laptop, “If you're so smart, Lydia, do you know anyone who can translate five pages of Archaic Latin?” 

Lydia shrugged nochantly before declaring, “I know Archaic Latin.” 

“You know Archaic Latin?” 

“I got bored with Classical Latin.” 

“ _Of course_ , you did,” Vanessa rolled her eyes with a smile before getting out of the chair and gesturing to it invitingly, “If you please?” 

The girl took a seat primly in the chair as Allison pulled up the pages for her. She recited them as Morell did, basically saying the exact same thing she said until she came across **_the word_**. That one word that changed everything for them, the word that sent Vanessa scrambling for her phone as Allison asked. 

“Are you sure? Miss Morell said that word means ‘friend’. “The kanima seeks a friend.” 

“She was wrong,” Lydia declared adamantly, flipping her behind her as she fixed the two girls with a look, “It means ‘master’.” 

“The kanima seeks a master.” 

Vanessa lifted the phone up to her ear, running a shaky hand through her brown tresses. 

Derek’s voice answered on the first beep, “Vanessa, I don’t have time for your jokes right now – “ 

“Derek, it’s bad. It’s _really_ **bad**.” 

“Ness? Ness, what’s wrong?” 

The girl hurried across to the laptop that Lydia had vacated to lean over Allison’s shoulder as the dark-haired girl announced loudly so that the werewolf could catch her words, 

“Someone’s not protecting him. Someone’s controlling him.” 

“The kanima doesn’t seek a friend, Derek,” Vanessa cried out in a panic, the three girl’s looking at the door warily before she whispered, “The kanima seeks a master. There’s someone else pulling the strings, Derek. _**Someone else**_ is responsible for the murders.” 

\- 

After filling in Derek on what they now knew, they hung up the phone to let Scott and Stiles in on the discovery too. Scott and Stiles who were at the police station. Scott and Stiles who were with _Jackson_ at the police station. Scott and Stiles who were with Jackson at the police station because the boy had ID them as the people who had him locked up in a van in the middle of the wilderness. 

_Aka kidnapping._

So, naturally, Vanessa wanted to know the important details first. 

“Did he report me? Did he report me and Allison?” 

_Self-preservation is my first instinct and I will embrace it if it means avoiding prison._

“No, Nessie, you guys are in the clear,” Stiles drawled drily back through the phone. 

“If Jackson doesn’t know what he’s doing then he probably doesn’t know that someone’s controlling him,” Allison explained, getting them back on track. 

“Or he doesn’t remember,” Scott’s voice rang out from the line. 

“What if it’s the same kind of thing that happened with Lydia when she took off from the hospital?” Stiles asked. 

The girl in question perked up at the mention of her name before muttering out, “A fugue state.” 

Allison repeated the phrase with a frown before turning back to the phone as Scott led with the theory, “He’d have to forget everything – the murder.” 

“Getting rid of the blood,” Allison continued on with a look akin to sympathy coming across her face. 

“But he had help with one thing though – the video,” Stiles spoke up which gave Vanessa an idea. 

“But how many people _actually_ knew about Jackson filming himself? Not to be a dick, but I didn’t think the guy knew how to operate anything other the camera on his phone,” the brunette frowned before pulling Lydia away from the phone to ask, “Does Jackson usually keep any filming equipment in his room?” 

“Not that I know. I haven’t been over since he broke up, but he didn’t have any before.” 

Vanessa headed back to the phone to tell the others her theory, “We need to find out who gave Jackson that filming equipment. If we’re lucky, it could be that easy and it turns out to be the guy who gave it to him. He’d have knowledge about Jackson wanting to film something, could have slipped into his house in the middle of his change and did whatever weird master-kanima ritual you’d need to do to have a psycho lizard go off and murder people for you.” 

“We could also look at the victims. See what they had in common,” Allison suggested with bright, hopeful eyes as something half resembling a decent plan came together. 

“We might have a few leads after all,” Scott murmured through the phone. 

“Alright, that’s all for tonight. We’ll talk more on Monday at school but until than keep your heads low. No more kidnapping classmates, no more running from the police and no more battling kanimas. Scott, focus on your studies. Stiles, don’t fucking distract him.” 

“Nessie, it was _**your**_ idea to incapacitate him,” Stiles pointed out. 

Vanessa leaned down to whisper harshly back at him, “As opposed to **killing >/strong> him like you and Derek wanted? How _is_ Derek by the way? You wanna go say hi, see how he’s feeling after todays little _escapades?_**

**_“You _bi_ – “ _ **

**__**

_Damn fucking straight I am, sweetie. Damn fucking straight._

**__**

She hung up on him, passing Allison her phone back with an innocent smile that the girl rolled her eyes at. Lydia flopped down on the bed with her arm across her face dramatically as she groaned, “Is that all for tonight?” 

**__**

“Yes, _unless_ you have more questions?” 

**__**

“Not tonight. Tonight, I want to have a shower and get some beauty sleep,” the strawberry blonde straightened up with a pout, “I’ve aged five years in the last hour and it’s showing.” 

**__**

“Down the hall, first door to your right,” Allison smiled tiredly as she handed Lydia a towel and some pajamas for the girl to change into. 

**__**

After she closed the door behind her, Allison opened up her closet to get her own clothes before sending a sly glance over her shoulder at the brunette on the bed, “I know that we _just _got off a call discussing how to find some kid that’s using Jackson as his personal hitman but I need to tell you something that you _can’t_ tell anyone else.” __

**_____ _ **

“I’m all ears, sweets,” Vanessa murmured as she made herself comfortable on the bed, propping up the pillows as she waited for her friend’s big secret. 

**_____ _ **

“Me and Scott _might_ have had sex tonight,” Allison murmured out with pink cheeks and bright eyes, the girl on the bed whipping her head up with an open mouth. 

**_____ _ **

“Who, what, when, where and _how the fuck was it_?” Vanessa asked before cringing slightly, “Actually, don’t tell me about the last part. I just remembered you said sex with _Scott_ , and I don’t **ever** wanna hear intimate details pertaining to a boy I’ve known since **birth**.” 

**_____ _ **

“Well, to answer your questions, it was me and Scott, the what was _sex_ , the when was tonight, the where was in the back of his car at the preserve and it was the best night of my life.” 

**_____ _ **

“Why now? Why _tonight_?” 

**_____ _ **

“I don’t know,” the dark-haired girl stared down at the baby blue night shirt she held between her fingers as she smiled to herself, “He was holding me in his arms, and we were talking about the future. And it just seemed so short, so fleeting. He was only mentioning college and I just imagined life beyond that, you know? And I told him that was what I wanted, and he just gave me this look like he hadn’t seen me clearly until _that_ moment and I asked him if he knew that I wanted more, and he just told me he knew. And then he kissed me and – “ 

**_____ _ **

Vanessa held a hand up grinning from ear to ear, “I think I know how the rest went. I’m happy for you two. Really, I am.” 

**_____ _ **

“What about you and Isaac?” the other girl asked slyly, sitting on the edge of the bed and watching her friend with a teasing smile, “You guys practically **ran** out of Econ yesterday, but you were mad with him after school? Did you guys talk and make up?” 

**_____ _ **

“Oh, we _**made up**_ alright,” the brunette laughed with a suggestive smirk. 

**_____ _ **

“Oh my God, did you guys -?” 

**_____ _ **

“No, but he **did** stay the night,” she explained with a dreamy smile, “It was a hell of a day but a heavenly night.” 

**_____ _ **

“Have you guys gone out on a date yet?” Allison asked, cocking her head inquisitively, “Since the formal, I mean.” 

**_____ _ **

“No but I intend on fixing that,” Vanessa nodded with a determined gleam in her eyes, “I declared the weekend to be normal time and I’m standing by on that.” 

**_____ _ **

_If I get any calls from Stiles about psycho lizards and even more psychotic plans to capture said psycho lizard, I will toss my phone into the fucking river and never look back._

**_____ _ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I fool anyone with that guess who just had sex comment? Comment down below if I got you!  
> I know there isn't any Isaac in this chapter! I apologize for that and I promise that he will be heavily featured in the next few chapters so don't you worry!  
> A few questions:  
> \- What did everybody think about Vanessa teasing Stiles about Derek this chapter?  
> \- What did you think about Stiles and Lydia? Should she forgive him? Is she being dramatic? Does anyone want to see any scenes between them in future chapters?  
> \- What did you guys think about Vanessa telling Lydia about the supernatural earlier on? Do you think she made the wrong decision? Or do you think she was in her right?  
> \- Did you guys figure out that Lydia was like a role model to Vanessa? Does it make sense considering her character? What did you think about it?  
> \- What did you think of Gerard playing good cop to Chris' bad cop? Do you think the old man still managed to come across as creepy despite defending Allison and the girls?  
> \- Do you have suggestions or feedback for anything happening in this chapter? More Stydia? More Sterek? More scenes with Lydia? Please let me know and I will credit them to you when they are featured in the future!


	20. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanessa has declared that the weekend is a time of relaxation and neutrality.  
> And everybody knows by now that what Nessa wants, Nessa gets.  
> And right now, her blue eyed, god-blessed boyfriend is looking pretty good ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- The title is from the song with the same title "First Date" by Blink 182. This song would have been great for the Winter Formal, in my opinion, but I didn't remember my punk phase until I uploaded this chapter and now I'm disappointed :(
> 
> \- A song featured in this chapter is "Forget You" by Ceelo Green.
> 
> \- WARNING: There is mild sexual content at the start of the fic, so for those that are averse, please be aware. There is also implied/references to child abuse at the end, so again, those easily triggered or sensitive to the topic, please know that it is featured in the fic. 
> 
> \- This is dedicated to one of my loyal readers, @Shadowhunter_12, so as requested, this is the return of the blue eyed god ;)  
>  \- Hope everybody enjoys and please, remember, that feedback, suggestions and even questions are deeply appreciated x

It was Saturday morning after she and Lydia left Allison’s house, Vanessa dropping off the strawberry blonde with a reminder not tell anyone about what they had discussed. Lydia merely rolled her eyes and slammed the car door shut before strutting up her driveway and disappearing into her house. 

_What a bitch. I fucking love her._

Smirking, she immediately pulled out and headed for the warehouse district, sending a text to Erica to open the garage door. The blonde appeared five minutes later, waving at her as the door rose and walking beside the Ford as it entered the underground spaced and parked. 

“Hey, sweetie,” Vanessa grinned as she hopped out, bringing the girl into her arms as she asked, “On a scale of one to ten, how mad is Coach that I missed out on the Econ exam?” 

She forgot the midterms because of the whole ‘ _friends are about to get arrested for kidnapping_ ’ pizazz and after explaining to Sarah and Lisa over the phone that she had **_nothing_** to do with what Scott and Stiles pulled – which was half true because she wasn’t **actually** there when they committed the crime – the two women had called up Coach and convinced him to let her do a makeup test on Monday. 

She half expected the man to have scoffed at their proposal but was pleasantly surprised when he said she could do it on her lunch break. 

“Probably a six,” Erica murmured in her ear before pulling back to pat her shoulder in sympathy, “It would have been more if those three boys from Gym hadn’t walked past. I practically _felt_ his horror when he had flashbacks of you kicking their asses.” 

_Amongst other things._

“Oh, thank God!” the brunette looked up at the ceiling before slinging her arm around her best friend’s shoulders as they headed over to the gate, “So I have the World History midterms and the Econ makeup test to do on Monday. Sucks for you guys because you have to do the Chemistry test. Now _that_ , that’s gotta be brutal.” 

“Yeah, yeah, rub it in,” the blonde rolled her eyes playfully as they headed downstairs. 

Isaac was leaning against one of the pillars in the middle of the room, shirt rolled up to elbows as he listened to Derek explain, “We have to work with them to figure out who the master is. On Monday, I want you to stay with Vanessa, want Erica to stay with Stiles and Boyd to follow Scott.” 

“Thanks for the _consideration_ ,” Vanessa drawled, leaning over the rusted railing to look down on them all with a lazy grin. 

The boy at the pillar brightened immediately, hurrying over to the bottom of the steps as she bounded down to him. He caught her around the waist, spinning them around before settling her down and kissing her soundly. 

“Hello to you too, Handsome,” the girl giggled as she pulled back from him. 

“I missed you,” he murmured to her before leaning down for another kiss. 

“You _literally_ saw her yesterday,” Erica pointed out from where she had sat down across from Boyd with a spoon full of peanut butter in her mouth. 

Vanessa rolled her eyes before untangling herself from her boyfriend, walking over to give Boyd a quick hug as she moved on to make herself a sandwich, calling back over her shoulder, “So, Scott and Stiles are at the station. Jackson escaped the van last night and made his way to civilization so the two of them are in **big** trouble.” 

“Figures,” Derek scoffed before joining them at the makeshift kitchen, opening up a bottle of water, “Are we in any trouble?” 

“Nope. Apparently he didn’t give any of us up but then again, I’d hate to be the guy that gave _your_ name up. That’s a death wish right there.” 

“So’s crossing any road _your_ driving on,” the Alpha muttered below his breath, but she caught it anyway. 

“ ** _Rude_** ,” she grunted as she bit into her sandwich, “And, FYI, you weren’t crossing a road. You were **_running_** across it. You’re as much to blame as I am.” 

“Whatever you say, Nessa.” 

“I like that,” she nodded in approval, ignoring the sarcasm as she turned to the rest of the teenagers, “You hear that, guys? Whatever _I_ say. _**I’m the Alpha now**_.” 

Vanessa threw her head back laughing at her own little impersonation of Derek before shutting up at his warning glare, not because she was _actually_ scared of him but because she almost choked on the bread she was chewing on and didn’t fancy going to the hospital at **_that_** moment. 

_Don't fancy going to the hospital again anytime soon. Never know when Gerard will pop out from a bush or something with a machete or whatever the fuck the old man has on him._

“Back to a more _important_ topic,” Derek grounded out, leaning on the table as he fixed them with a serious stare, “What’s the plan?” 

“Scott and the others agreed on three things. One, all actions will be taken after the weekend is over. No fighting, no scheming, no kidnapping. We’ve been caught out doing at least one of those things so I think we can afford to keep out head down for two days, don’t you?” Ignoring Derek’s raised eyebrow, the girl continued on, “We now know that Jackson is not only unaware of his actions, he’s not in control of them. Someone else is and therefore the people they are murdering have some connection to this so-called master. Therefore, we have two leads. The first is that we need to look at the victims we have so far and try to find a connection between them.” 

“And the second?” Isaac asked, settling himself down on the chair beside her. 

“The second is that we need to find out which one of our classmates gave Jackson the filming equipment that was used to tape his first full moon. We recently learned that Jackson wanted to film his change and he asked someone to do it. According to Danny, his best friend, he was asked to recover the film because it supposedly had a editing point which means – “ 

“That someone edited out Jackson changing into the kanima,” Erica finished, letting her spoon drop onto the plate in front of her as she stood up, “I can check to see who knows anything about editing in my class but I think our best bet is someone in film or photography.” 

“Good,” Vanessa nodded as she sat herself in Isaac’s lap, “Than you can watch over Allison as well as Stiles. Boyd, Scott likes you the most out of the three of you so I don’t think he will mind if you hang out with him for the day. Be warned though, he’s supposed to be doing his midterms and tests because if he fails, he will be held back. So, do me a huge favor and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid like miss them.” 

Boyd nodded at her, smiling slightly at her before responding, “I think we **_all_** need to focus on our midterms if we don’t wanna be held back.” 

“ _I’m_ not the one who ditched the Econ exam yesterday,” Erica grinned playfully at the brunette as the other girl groaned. 

“I’m doing a makeup test on Monday, so I have nothing to worry about,” she waved it off before leaning back against her boyfriend and asking them all, “How did you guys go?” 

“Piece of cake considering _**we actually stuck around**_ when Coach went over it with us,” the blonde taunted playfully as she wiggled her brows at her friend, “Unlike _some_ people.” 

“I think you’ve had your fun,” Boyd scolded, although it lost most of it's intended impact when he started laughing along with her. 

“ _Enough_ ,” Derek declared loudly, although his own lips twitched in veiled amusement as he waited for the teenagers to quieten down, “Just because the weekend has been declared neutral by a bunch of kids, does not mean we get a rest from trying to figure out how to deal with the problems we are facing.” 

“ _Actually_ , that’s **exactly** what it means but go off,” Vanessa muttered as Isaac leaned his chin on her shoulder, holding her tightly as his Alpha glared at her to shut up. 

“ _As I was saying_ ,” the man said slowly, “We thought we might have had enough time to find a cure but with Scott’s plan failing and Jackson now free and walking amongst us, we need to prepare for his next move. His next **kill**.” 

Vanessa was about to protest when he interrupted her, noticing her desperate look as he continued, “I will honor our agreement. We know more than we did before, and we have leads to pursue. But I want to make sure my pack is going to be ready for something even more difficult.” 

He led them all over to a chest in the middle of the room, unlocking it and opening it up for them to see as he explained, “The full moon is still fast approaching and I need to make sure you all know what will be happening during that time.” 

Erica dipped her hand into the chest and pulled out a bunch of chains and a weird mechanical device that looked like a torture device from the eighteen hundreds as she turned to Derek to drawl sarcastically, “These look _comfortable_.” 

“You said you were going to teach us to change whenever you wanted,” Isaac pointed out, gulping nervously at the thought of being chained up. Of being _trapped_. 

Vanessa slid her hands into his when she heard his breathe shudder, placing their joint hands on her heartbeat as she stepped in front of him while Derek responded, “That takes time, practice and patience. Something you haven’t had a lot of lately with everything going around. If you can find time to train between now and the full moon, that’s good but these are precautions. I know you guys don’t want to accidentally do something you’re going to regret, right?” 

Erica and Boyd nodded, exchanging concerned looks at each other as they inspected the chains. When Isaac didn’t respond, Derek spun around and fixed him with a knowing look, “Remember what I told you on Thursday night? If it’s true, you should be fine. If it’s not, you will regret not being chained up. You have a lot more to lose than they do if you don’t.” 

The Alpha’s eyes darted to the girl in his Beta’s arms, arms that tightened protectively around her as her heartbeat pulsed through his hands and into his own body, levelling out his own breathing that he didn’t know had started coming out in harsh breaths. 

As the others trailed off to do their own thing, Vanessa led her boyfriend up to the garage above, hopping into her car and taking him with her as they headed to her place. No one was home, both Sarah and Lisa were at work until later that night, which meant they had the whole place to themselves. 

When they made it to her bedroom, she spun on him and gave him a smirk that spelled trouble as she asked. 

“We have three things we can do. We have to do all three things by the end of the day, but I will let you pick which one we can do first. Make out, Study or Movie?” 

She was stupid for even giving him options as he lifted her up against him, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist as he took her lips for his own. He walked them back to her bed, laying her down gently on her mattress before whipping off his own shirt and coming back to her. His lips were soft as they danced against her own, tongues teasing the seams of their mouths before gaining entrance. Vanessa groaned at the _**feel**_ of him against her, his hands sliding from where they were settled under her shirt to squeeze her ass as he grinded down on her. 

“ _How_ did you learn to do _that_?” she gasped breathlessly as he trailed kisses down her neck, making her arch her back at the feeling of **teeth** grazing against her sensitive skin. 

“Instinct, Beautiful. Pure instinct,” he whispered into her ear before kissing her again to silence any other questions that popped into that curious mind of hers that he loved so much. 

After managing to get her own shirt off, his head ducked down to pay attention to the swell of her breast, lips tracing the freckles spattered there before daring to move his mouth lower as his tongue swept out to lick at her nipples that pebbled through the thin lacey bralette she had been wearing since yesterday. 

_God, I need a shower._

“Handsome, I need to take a shower,” she moaned as his fingers slipped under her bra to cup her other breast as he pulled down the material to **worship** what he found hiding underneath with that talented tongue of his. 

She almost told him to forget it right than and there but she knew that if his wolf senses could smell her arousal, they could also sniff out the fact she hadn’t changed the bra she had been wearing since yesterday morning and that was enough to jump start her anxiety. 

Vanessa ran a hand down his face to tip his chin up and away from her chest as she breathed out, “I need to shower. _You_ need to study. The Chemistry test is on Monday and don’t think I didn’t remember that you were having difficulty with it only a few weeks ago.” 

The girl slipped out from under him as he fell face down onto the bed and groaned out in a husky voice, “Remind me to drop Chemistry after we finish sophomore year.” 

“That’s cute,” she called over her shoulder as she took her bralette off to hang it on the door – _it was going to come off either way_ , “Real cute. Get to the books, sweetheart.” Isaac’s intense stare followed her all the way to the bathroom before being blocked out by the door, although she **swore** she could feel his eyes burning through that too. 

\- 

They had made it through about a quarter of their work material for their respective classes before they gave up and watched a movie. She once again threw her legs over his lap but this time he was confident enough to pull her closer and left his hand on her thigh as they watched the Looney Tunes on the television. 

They were laughing as the Roadrunner avoided yet another trap by the coyote when they heard a car pull up outside. Vanessa got up to go check, frowning when she saw Sarah get out of the squad car and stride to the front door. 

“Who is it?” Isaac called from the couch as she turned to him. 

“Sarah’s home early,” she replied before she walked out of the bedroom to head downstairs, the boy on her heels as the older woman opened the door and walked in, “Hey Mom, I didn’t think you’d be home until later tonight.” 

“Chief sent me home. We found a body in the woods, looked like another animal attack,” Sarah explained as she rolled her shoulders and headed to the kitchen, missing on the panicked looks exchanged between the two teenagers, “Poor girl had to be taken to hospital. The whole thing was so traumatic that it sent her into labor early. Lisa’s probably helping out with the birth right now.” 

“Wait, the woman _wasn’t_ attacked?” Vanessa frowned as she sat herself down at the table. 

“Apparently the animal came close but pulled away the last second. Poor thing was talking about the devil and all this nonsense. You know, the usual hallucinations and stuff.” 

Isaac leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed as he asked, “Do you think it was the same thing that killed my father?” 

Sarah softened at that, taking a sip of her water before continuing, “Sorry kids, it’s an official investigation. I only told you what I told you because the press is bound to get a hold of it. I can tell you that it looked like an animal attack so tell Scott and Stiles that if they’re gonna kidnap **another** one of your classmates, _don’t_ bring them into the forest.” 

The couple laughed at that, both thinking very similar thoughts about how the kid they kidnapped was actually the killer in the woods but you couldn’t exactly joke about that without getting some _very_ concerned looks and a call to the local psychologist so they just headed back upstairs to continue their show, eventually falling asleep in each other’s arms as the fears they had put off to the following week became the fears of tonight once again. 

Because things would never be normal when they lived in Beacon Hill. 

\- 

The next day, Vanessa had decided that she wanted to take her boyfriend on an **actual** date as they rode around town in her Ford, singing along to whoever came onto the radio. At that moment, it happened to be _Forget You_ by Ceelo Green which meant all cards were off the table and she didn’t care if she had a boyfriend, she was gonna sing that shit like he was driving around town with some random chick and she was pissed as hell. 

_I see you driving around town with the girl I love_

_And I'm like, "Forget you" (Ooh, ooh, ooh)_

_I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough_

_I'm like: "Forget you and forget her, too"_

Isaac threw his head back laughing at her as she clicked her fingers with attitude, the girl shooting him a impish grin before turning back to the song. 

_Said if I was richer_

_I'd still be with ya_

_Hah, now ain't that some shh? (Ain't that some shh?)_

She patted her chest with one hand while steering, careful to not take her eyes off the road for too long as she danced in her seat. 

_And although there's pain in my chest_

_I still wish you the best_

_With a forget you (Oh, ooh, oooh)_

Vanessa pointed a finger at him as she crooned the last bit, the boy snatching her hand and placing a kiss on her knuckles with that sly smirk of his before she wretched it away from him to shake her finger teasingly. She was pleasantly surprised when he sang alongside her for the verse. 

_Yeah, I'm sorry, I can't afford a Ferrari_

_But that don't mean I can't get you there_

_I guess he's an Xbox and I'm more Atari_

_But the way you play your game ain't fair_

Isaac had a nice voice on him, his accent wrapping the words up in a strange lilt that made her want to pull over the car and wrap his tongue up in hers until he couldn’t sing anything but **her name** as – 

Yeah, she needed to stop that train of thought before she caused a car crash. Boy, what he did to her was _unnatural_. Or maybe it was that it was _too_ natural that it frightened her. 

_I pity the fool that falls in love with you_

_(Oh shh, she's a gold digger)_

_Well.. (Just thought you should know)_

_(Ooh) I've got some news for you_

_("...Yeah, go run and tell your little boyfriend")_

He gave her a mischievous wink at the last bit, causing her to giggle to herself as the chorus finally came on again just as they pulled up to that diner that Lydia had taken her to on Friday night. The strawberry blonde had surprised her with her choice of hang out, Vanessa having expected a high-class restaurant rather than a downtown burger joint. But that just taught her not to judge a book by its cover. 

Isaac hopped out of the car as soon as she parked, rushing around to her door so he could open it for her and helped her out as she grinned at him dreamily, “Why thank you! What a gentleman!” 

The boy shook his head at her in amusement despite the color rushing to his cheeks as she slipped her hand into his while they walked, swaying them slightly as he told her, 

“You know, when you said you wanted to take me out today, I thought you meant the grocery store or something like that. I’m really glad that I was wrong about that because I’m _hopeless_ at groceries.” 

Vanessa cocked her head at him with a smirk as she said, “Now I know why you’re such a great fit for Derek’s pack! You all can’t grocery shop for the life of you.” 

“That’s why we have you around,” he joked, slinging an arm around her waist and pulling her close to him as she laughed. 

“Good to know you’ll never tire of me.” 

Isaac glanced down softly at her before murmuring in a serious voice, “I could never tire of you, beautiful.” 

She would admit to being slightly breathless when she whispered back, “Ditto.” 

They headed on inside and were relieved to find that it wasn’t so packed. Being early on a Sunday morning, it would make sense that everybody would be sleeping in or recovering from their Saturday night hangovers, so the couple took advantage of the empty space and picked a booth by the windows, the red leather seats warmed by the early morning sun that cast an orange glow on half the diner. 

The same waitress who had served her and Lydia the other night smiled down at them two minutes later as she asked, “What can I get you today?” 

“I would like a stack of flapjacks, toast and some eggs please,” Vanessa read out from the menu before sliding it across the table for Isaac to read. 

“Poached, scrabbled or sunny side?” 

“Sunny side please.” 

“And for the drink?” 

The girl considered it for a moment before replying in a hopeful voice, “Hot chocolate?” 

“Alright and for you, sir?” The lady turned to Isaac with a teasing grin as he scrunched up his face at the title playfully before ordering. 

“I’ll have the same but with some bacon please.” 

“Coming right up! she chirped enthusiastically before scurrying back behind the counter and leaving the couple to their own devices. 

Vanessa leaned against the table, eyes glittering mischievously as she declared to the boy across from her, “We’re playing Twenty Questions.” 

“Can I ask what brought this on?” 

“I just realized that we skipped a few steps on this dating thing and we need to catch up. We barely know anything about each other. Yes, we know the deep dark stuff that was fifth date material and we’ve done stuff that is third date material – although with a smile like yours, I would've made an exception.” 

The girl got a lot of satisfaction out of making him blush at the implications behind her words before continuing on, “But we don’t know the small things like your favorite movie or season or which Friends character you think you are.” 

“Alright,” he nodded in agreement before flickering his eyes up to meet hers with a mischievous glint as he suggested, “Scissors, paper, rock for who goes first?” 

“You’re fucking on.” 

It took three games before they moved on – mostly because Isaac kept suggesting best out of three – but unfortunately for her boyfriend, she had developed quite a skill at predicting his moves. He didn’t know it yet, but he had a pattern and she was planning to use this little tidbit of knowledge for any and **all** future arguments. 

“Okay, favorite color on three,” the boy said before counting down. 

“Blue,” they echoed, smiling at each other knowingly. 

“Too easy,” Vanessa drawled as she sat back in the booth, “Favorite movie?” 

“Genre?” 

“Horror,” she replied without any hesitation. 

“I would have to say Chucky is always a win then.” 

“I favor the likes of Scream more than that psychotic little doll, but I won’t deny that it was enough to make me throw out all my Barbies at the age of ten.” 

“You watched Chucky when you were _ten?_ ” 

“Of course,” Vanessa blinked innocently as she cocked her head at him, “Didn’t everyone?” 

“Um no, beautiful, I’m _pretty_ sure they waited until they were a little bit older,” Isaac shook his head at her before his lips twitched in amusement as he pointed out, “Nice to know you played with Barbies though.” 

“Isaac, I was a ten-year-old girl. Of course, I played with Barbies,” she rolled her eyes before grinning, “Don’t tell them I told you this but so did Scott and Stiles.” 

As expected, he keeled over laughing at that. It took him several minutes to calm down, only trailing off when the waitress came back with their drinks. He straightened up slowly before apologizing sheepishly, “I’m sorry but that’s too good of blackmail material to pass up! 

“Hey, boys can play with Barbies too!” 

“I know, Nessa, but when your friends start acting like they’re better than me, I’m gonna use it to wreck em’.” 

“You won’t have to,” she shook her head in disagreement, “If I hear them disrespect you, they’ll have to face me. And you might think Chucky is scary, but I am " _a hundred times **worse**_ to Scott and Stiles, babe.” 

“I have no doubt,” Isaac smirked as he gave her a once over with adoration sparkling from his eyes, “Next question.” 

“Shoot.” 

“What do you wanna be when you grow up?” 

Vanessa hummed in thought, taking a sip of her drink before answering, “You know, I don’t really know. I want to be a writer but I also want to help people. Stiles’ wants to join the FBI when he leaves school and I can’t deny that it hasn’t crossed my mind once or twice. I want to stay in Beacon Hills, like, I mean, I want to travel the world of course, but I want to stay and raise my kids in this place. It might be filled to the brim with werewolves and kanimas and hunters and all that stuff but some of those people are my friends, my family.” 

“Your boyfriend,” he reminded with a playful lilt to his voice. 

She grinned at him, shaking her head in amusement before continuing, “I don’t know. I know I definently want to see the world, make some memories in a place other than a forest on the outskirts of town. I want to go to college, get a job, live in a new place for a few years but at the end of the day, when I think of my _**future**_ , I think of Beacon Hills. Coming back home, settling down with a family and doing something I actually love like writing.” 

Vanessa tilted her head at him shyly before asking in a quiet, unsure voice, “Does that sound weird?” 

“Weird? That sounds perfect. For someone that doesn’t know what they want to be, you know how you want to live and that’s more than some of us can say.” 

“Well, what about you? What do you want to do?” 

“You mean if I _survive_ high school?” Isaac joked with a sort of bitterness echoing in his tone that made her stand to attention, “I definently want to leave as soon as school’s over. Get the hell out of here and go to someplace that’s bigger, brighter. Where there aren’t hunters around every corner, and I can be myself for the first time in forever. I thought it would be like that when I took the Bite, but I don’t know. That was before Gerard arrived.” 

Vanessa’s eyes softened with sadness as she slid her hand over to cover his before she murmured, “I know. I know that it wasn’t the freedom you wanted. When I asked for Derek to offer you the bite, I didn’t anticipate the Argent’s bringing reinforcements. I thought that after everything that happened with Scott and Allison’s father, I thought they would leave us alone.” 

“Hey, hey, I didn't mean it like that,” he cut in, hand reaching up to cradle her cheek as he reassured her, “What you did for me, asking Derek to offer me the bite, that was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me in a long time. You and your family have been nothing but kind to me, offering your home, your hearts.” 

His eyes drifted down to her lips as he continued, “You are the best thing that has happened to me in a long time, Vanessa. I don’t regret a single thing and if I die tomorrow by the kanima, in a week by Gerard’s sword or in fifty years on my deathbed, I will die without a single regret that I got to know you. That I got to hold you in my arms, kiss you before going to bed at night and that I got to spend even one minute with you.” 

Her eyes had widened with every word that passed his lips, hands fisted around the handle of her hot chocolate as he leaned over and kissed her softly, too pure to describe in words and too soft to ever hope feeling from another’s lips before he pulled back to lean his forehead against hers. 

“You really know how to make a girl’s day, don’t you?" Vanessa whispered breathlessly. 

Isaac chuckled to himself as they pulled back from one another, both breathing heavily. The waitress came along with their meal, giving them a break from what would inevitably lead to another intense encounter. The boy’s words were enough for Vanessa to consider popping the question but she didn’t think the diner staff would take too kindly to her kneeling on the floor asking her boyfriend if he could ‘ _do her the honor of **fucking** her into oblivion for the rest of their lives_’. It seemed hardly appropriate and she didn’t anticipate any free champagne, so she resisted, _God bless her_ , she **resisted** and instead moved her attention to her flapjacks, buttering them up and drizzling them with maple syrup before putting sauce and salt on her eggs. 

“So,” she hummed after cutting up her flapjacks and shoving them in her mouth, “You told me you wanted to drop Chemistry after sophomore year. Was that just the heat of the moment talking or were you actually serious?” 

Isaac nodded, smiling slightly as he took a sip of his drink before replying, “I was deadly serious. Besides, it was never a subject I wanted to take. It was my father – “ 

His voice broke slightly on the word and Vanessa immediately dropped her fork to grab his hand from across the table as he fought to continue on, “It was my father who wanted me to do it. I absolutely hate it and now that – now that he isn’t – isn’t here to – isn’t here to stop me, I don’t want to do it anymore.” 

“That’s perfectly understandable,” Vanessa murmured to him, rubbing circles with her thumb on his knuckles, “It’s perfectly okay to want to do other stuff. To change things around and do things different now that he’s – now that he’s – “ 

“Gone.” 

It was a word shuddered in many emotions. Relief, anger and most of all, grief. Vanessa never considered it before, blinded by her own hatred of the man, but if Sarah and Lisa just one day snapped and did the things that Isaac’s father did to him, she wouldn’t know how to feel. She’d like to say that she would grow to hate them, hate _anyone_ who ever betrayed the trust their children gave them by hurting them in such ways but there would always be those times that would haunt her like a ghost, the good times, the times when they **did** love her and she wondered if it were those times that haunted her boyfriend now as he clutched her hand and blinked down at the table with wet lashes. 

Vanessa lunged out of her seat and hurried around to his side, arms going around Isaac as he enveloped her in one of those bone crushing hugs of his, his head buried in her hair as he breathed harshly in her ear. They stayed like that for quite a while, only pulling back slightly to finish off their meal but his arm stayed around her, and her head leaned against his shoulder as she watched the day become brighter outside. 

“I think,” Isaac murmured to her as she finished off her toast, “I think I want to – I want to go back.” 

“Go back where?” she asked, frowning slightly before she realized what he was trying to say and jerked back hard, “ _The house?_ ” 

“I just – my stuff is still there and I – I just want – I just want – “ 

“Closure.” 

He nodded hesitantly, both of them falling into silence as they finished off their food. She took that time to choke back the bile that crept up her throat just at the _thought_ of taking him back to that house. It reminded her of **_that night_** , when they were both crying as he kissed her goodbye and walked out of her car. If she felt like she was going to be sick now, she couldn’t imagine what Isaac was feeling as they slid out of their booth, paid for their meal and headed out to her car. 

\- 

He didn’t say anything the whole time, hand clutching hers like it was a lifeline as he breathed in and out. She didn’t even think about filling the silence – the silence that normally ate her nerves until she was a wreck – because she could tell that no amount of music or radio chatter could calm the rising tension in his shoulders, or the hard clench of his jaw or even the way his eyes squeezed themselves shut. 

_Pay attention to the road, Vanessa. He doesn’t need a fucking car accident right now._

It took what felt hours to drive to his neighborhood although she knew that she had only left the diner around ten minutes ago. She parked across the street from his house, noticing the way his back stiffened and his head whipped up to stare at the building with fearful eyes. A thousand memories flickered through his eyes, most of them less than happy and she was about to step on it out of there when he whispered softly to her without taking his eyes of the house. 

“I can’t go in there, Ness,” he shook his head, leaning back as far as the car would let him, “I can’t go in there.” 

No matter how much she wanted to get the hell out of dodge, she knew that he was right about one thing before. He had stuff, personal items, schoolbooks and sentimental items that she didn’t want him to have to part with. She turned to him, small body doing it’s best to block out the scene in front of him as she slid a shaking hand up to cup his cheek before she asked carefully, “Did you want me to go in there? You can tell me what you want me to get and I’ll get it for you.” 

When he jerked against her in protest, terror behind his haunted eyes, she rushed to reassure him, “He’s not there, sweetie. He’s not there right now so I can go in there. Just focus on my heartbeat and you'll know I’m fine. I **will** be fine, okay? Just close your eyes and listen to my heartbeat.” 

Isaac did as she asked, settling back into his seat and breathing in deeply as he told her in a wavering voice, “There’s a few photos in the living room of my mom and brother. Um, there should be some plastic bags in the kitchen to help you put stuff in but there shouldn’t be a lot. My room is upstairs, third door on the left.” 

She nodded that she understood before patting his leg comfortingly, “Keys?” 

“There should be a spare underneath the mat.” 

Vanessa smiled gently, leaning over to press a kiss to his cheek as she whispered to him, “I’ll try to be quick.” 

He nodded with his head still pressed against the seat as she hopped out and headed over to the house. The police tape had been taken down after forensics did a run through and dismissed the place of being the scene of the murder, but it had taken a while after the deputies found the basement. She didn’t know what lay there herself besides what Isaac had told her but she overheard Sarah tell Lisa what she saw and she made a note that if she didn’t want to throw up, she would avoid the basement as best as she could. 

She lifted up the mat and released a sigh of relief when the key glinted back at her. She unlocked the door and pushed it open, gingerly walking in with a caution she did not possess the last time she was there. Then again, the last time she was there, she didn’t know what a fucking sick bastard Isaac’s father was. 

_He must’ve got all his kindness and charm from his mother. I wonder what happened to her._

Vanessa walked into the living room, eyes scouring for the photos he told her about when she caught on one on the fireplace mantle. She lifted it up to inspect it and smiled sadly. The woman in it was presumably Isaac’s mother, having shared his deep-set blue eyes that gleamed back proudly with her arms wrapped around an older boy who must’ve been Isaac’s brother. His own blue eyes sparkled from beneath the graduation cap on his head and Vanessa took the time to remark on how much he looked like Isaac. 

She took the photo as well as another one from further behind it where the same woman, albeit a few years younger, hugged two boys close to her as she laughed at the camera. The taller of the two boys was mid-way through ruffling his brother’s hair up while the other boy grinned up at his mother and brother with such happiness that it made her heart clench. Her boyfriend was adorable as a kid, dark blonde curls having grown out to fall just beneath his chin. 

_Then again, he's adorable now so I shouldn't be too surprised._

After making sure there wasn’t anything else in the room he might like, she headed up the stairs to the room he had told her was his and opened it up, not sure what she should have expected. It was messy, like any teenage boy’s room would be, with a single bed shoved into the corner, far too small for a guy of her boyfriend’s height. A desk on the brink of collapse was beside it, acting as a sort of bedside table. There was a closet that she wandered over to and opened up to see what was in there. 

One of the first things she gathered up was his lacrosse jersey, balling it up and shoving it in one of those plastic bags she found in the kitchen. She picked out a few hoodies and button downs before shutting it back up. She didn’t bother with the shoes, having only glimpsed one to know that she would rather take her boyfriend out shopping than make him wear ratty sneakers on the verge of falling apart. In fact, as she flittered over to his drawers, she made a resolution to take him out shopping the next week. She settled with a few jeans and sweatpants that looked considerably better before turning her attention to any of the sentimental items he had lying around. 

There was a some photos of his brother, one when they were playing baseball, another when they were all at dinner and another that was a bit more recent, probably taken in junior high, where both boys were behind their mother and were grinning brightly at the camera. Isaac had braces – _oh, she was not gonna let him live that down_ – and a pair of glasses on but besides that, and the baby fat, he looked like her Isaac. Just in happier times. 

_What went wrong, sweetheart?_

She sniffed slightly, thumbing away the tears welling up before moving on to chuck his schoolbooks and pens into the bag. Vanessa closed the door behind her before turning to head back downstairs when a low, dangerous thought slithered into her head. Its name was curiosity and she gave into it almost as easily as she would give into Isaac’s kisses before turning around to face the hall with two other doors. 

Her eyes darted between the two before she picked the one on the left. She opened it up carefully, looking around at the clean room with brow’s furrowed as she tried to deduce who’s it was. It obviously belonged to a boy, presumably Isaac’s brother and it looked as if it hadn’t been lived in for years despite the fact it was scattered with belongings and artefacts. It was obvious in the layer of dust that settled over everything in the room, from the shelves to the bed that was made. It looked more like a sarcophagus rather than a bedroom. She supposed, in some way, it confirmed where Isaac’s brother was, and she knew instinctively that she shouldn’t be wandering through the bedroom of her boyfriend’s **dead** brother but what if he wanted something of him to take with him? 

She headed to the closet, finding clothes that had been put into cloth protectors to preserve them unlike the rest of the room. She carefully unzipped one of them, finding an army jacket inside and pulling it out to finger it gently. 

_So, his brother was in the army._

Vanessa took the jacket and folded it carefully into the bag before walking back out to the other room. This one was his parents room by the looks of things, and everything looked lived in except for one corner. Just like his brother’s room, the vanity had a thick cover of dust on it that only confirmed her theory. Mr. Lahey preserved his son and wife’s respective artefacts and probably didn’t let Isaac go near any of it, let alone let **_himself_** touch it. 

_Well, you’re dead and your son probably wants to set his eyes on something of his mother’s for the first time in a while._

Her eyes traced the perfumes, the jewelry boxes and the photos of Isaac’s mother and father wrapped around each other, Mr. Lahey looking younger and less bitter with a smile on his face as his wife leaned in to kiss his cheek. Smiles seemed like a common theme amongst the pictures she studied, smiles between everyone except Isaac and his father. Vanessa’s attention snagged on the scarves wrapped decoratively around the little nooks that curled from the side of the dress, fingers plucking them up quickly to inspect them in consideration before placing them with the same gentleness she handled the army jacket with as she placed them in the bag alongside the rest of Isaac’s stuff before turning on her heel and heading out. 

Isaac was where she had left him, leaning against the leather seat of her Ford with his eyes closed but considerably more relaxed than how she last saw him. He jerked when she opened the door and hopped in, eyes locking onto the plastic bag she passed to him as she started up the car. 

“I didn’t get everything in your room. Most of your clothes looked like they were going to fall apart so I only picked up the stuff that looked like they would hold but I’m definently taking you shopping.” 

He was about to protest before she cut him off, “And I won’t take no for an answer.” 

Her boyfriend shook his head at her before murmuring quietly, “Thank you.” 

It reminded her of their first tutoring lesson when she took him to Burger King and bought him a meal. 

_Could that be considered our first date?_

\- 

She smiled to herself all the way back home, leading him inside and to her bedroom where she turned on her TV before announcing she was going for a shower. Isaac nodded before sitting down on her couch, the handle of the plastic bag with his stuff held in tight, pale fists as he turned to watch this week's episode of the Looney Tunes. Vanessa headed to the bathroom, not thinking anything of it until she finished washing up and came back to her boyfriend cradling his mother’s scarves in his hands like they were a treasure he thought to be long lost. 

“ _Where did you get this?_ ” he whispered in awe, voice shaking as he traced the patterns on the piece of cloth. 

The girl’s eyes widened when they saw what he was holding, rushing to explain herself, “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have gone into their room but I thought you might have wanted something in there and I saw the scarves on her vanity so I – “ 

“I haven’t been in there since she died,” Isaac gasped out, bringing the scarf he was holding to his nose to inhale deeply, “I tried once. She used to always let me to play with her stuff despite the – despite what he would say about it. I thought she wouldn’t – she wouldn’t mind if I – I don’t know - took one to – to remember her by – “ 

He started sniffling, shoulders shaking in silent cries as Vanessa rushed to his side to hug him tightly while he tried to explain in between broken sobs, “He found me – found me opening – the – the door and he – he – took me by the arm and – “ 

Vanessa ran a hand through his hair, whispering soothing words in his ear as he muffled his cries in her shoulder. She felt his tears dampen her shirt, but she didn’t care, pulling him close so he could let out everything he kept to himself. His sobs wrecked holes in her soul, gut-wrenching as he tried to fight all the guilt, all the anger, all the grief he had been building up within himself this whole time. Her own tears joined his as she rubbed circles into back, trying to keep her words strong and her voice clear. This wasn’t about her; this was about him and he deserved to have this time for himself. 

They stayed like that for ages, Isaac’s sobs dying down as the minutes passed until he pulled back slightly to lean his forehead against her, eyes red and glassy as he breathed in sharply to compose himself, “I’m so – “ 

“ _ **I swear to God**_ if you apologize to me right now, I **will** hug you to death. I’ll do it, don’t try me.” 

His breathe hitched as he choked out a sound that might have been laughter if his throat wasn’t full of tears. His arms tightened around her as he murmured, “We wouldn’t want that.” 

She shook her head at him, hands pushing his curls back as she looked at him softly before whispering back, “No, we wouldn’t.” 

Isaac pulled away after a moment, turning back to the scarves that laid loose in his lap as he explained, “That was the first time he did it, you know? I just wanted something to hold and he kept it from me for years. And I thought that – that as long as I didn’t ask or go near it – near the room, I mean – he would stop. He wouldn’t be so mad _all the goddamn time_ but – I don’t know – I guess it was my fault or something, I don’t know – “ 

“Hey,” she turned his head so he could look at her when she told him, “Everything he did and said, that was never your fault. Never blame yourself for any of it. Was your father grieving? Probably. Did he have any right to take it out on his son? No. No one has the right to do the things that he did to you. And you should never blame yourself for any of it, okay?” 

Her voice broke at the end when she clutched his arm pleadingly as she whispered to him, “Please. Please, don’t do that to yourself.” 

She pulled him tightly to her once more, hoping that the message went through to him. She stroked his hair as he nuzzled her neck, both of them leaning back into the couch as he murmured back to her, “I won’t.” 

They curled up together and she honestly didn’t know where she began and he ended as she pulled up the throw over blanket to cover them both, clutching him to her and listening to his heart beat thrum strongly in his chest in time to her breathing. 

\- 

When Isaac’s breathing levelled out and his eyes closed, Vanessa slid out from underneath him, getting up and stretching out her limbs before tucking him in with the blanket as she took her phone out and walked downstairs. Dialing the number of her resident Alpha, she was pleasantly surprised when he answered on the first beep. 

And disappointed but not overly shocked when he greeted her with, “Where is my Beta?” 

“ _How’s your weekend been, Nessa?_ It’s been **swell** , Derek, how’re ‘bout yours?” 

“You took my Beta and ran off for the entire weekend,” he spat out in frustration, “Did you not _consider_ notifying me?” 

“I did. I declared the entire weekend ‘ _relaxation time_ ’ **before** I took off with my boyfriend.” 

“What do you want, Vanessa?” she practically heard the eye roll in his voice. 

_There’s my ray of sunshine. Sunshine, my fucking ass._

“I need a favor.” 

“And what makes you think I’m in the mood to be doing any favors for _you_?” 

“Because I have about ten people on speed dial who would love to hear who was **_really_** driving that stolen police van last Friday. _Although_ , I am a tad confused, you see, because there was **two** people in the driver’s seat – “ 

“ ** _Not another fucking word_** ,” Derek growled out through the phone, taking a moment before he grunted quietly, “What do you want, you evil brat?” 

“Two things now that you’ve resorted to insults. I’m really hurt, I _thought_ we were friends, Derek.” 

“Since when do friends blackmail other friends?” 

“Since the summer of 2005. Fun for me and **very** _unfortunate_ for everyone else,” she smiled wistfully at the memory of the look of fear on Scott and Stiles’ faces. 

“Again, what do you want?” 

“I want you to give all three of your Betas money to go shopping next weekend.” 

“Are you fucking serious?” 

“As the plague. I’ll make you a deal to sweeten the pot. This summer, me and your little pack will all get jobs to pay you back _every cent_ that we spend. How ‘bout it, Alpha? Or should we call Erica over to talk about your little – “ 

“Fine. I will be paid back _every cent_ , you hear me?” 

“It’s a deal,” Vanessa grinned victoriously as the werewolf on the other side muttered to himself, phrases like ‘devil’s spawn’ and ‘cursed child’. catching her attention before he hung up on her. In her amusement, she forgot to ask him for that other favor but figured she could always call on it whenever she felt it necessary but for now, she was satisfied with what she achieved. 

Isaac turned over from where he was sprawled out on the couch, eyes squinting back up at her as he mumbled in a croaky voice, “What was that about?” 

“I’ll fill you in tomorrow,” she smiled softy down at him before asking, “Did you want to take a shower before Lisa and Sarah come home?” 

He sighed to himself and she thought for a moment he would just go back to sleep on the couch before he hefted himself up and headed to the bathroom. She watched him go, shaking her head at him before heading over to get the bed ready for them. It was only really early, going onto six and the sky was glowing red outside her window, but she figured they should snatch up any chance to sleep in the days to come. A storm was coming, and they needed to invest in some rain jackets **pronto**.


	21. Just Like Living In Paradise (And I Don't Want To Go Back To School)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long weekend is over and it's back to school in time to finish the midterms!  
> Vanessa and her friends are caught between studying, figuring out how to cure Jackson, fighting Jackson and figuring out who the Master is - _don't ask, Isaac doesn't like it either and he won't shut up about it!_  
>  But hey, it's Beacon Hills! It wouldn't be a normal school day without **_something_** going wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- The title is a play on the lyrics of the song "Just Like Paradise" by David Lee Roth.  
> \- Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please leave a comment to let me know what you thought!  
> \- Just a reminder that suggestions, feedback and criticism is appreciated and always welcomed!

Vanessa woke up that morning in paradise. The sunlight glowed through her curtains, turning the room a dark gold that made her feel warm inside her chest as she blinked the sleep away from her eyes. Strong arms tightened around her as she started to squirm, coaxing a small smile to her lips. She spun around in their embrace, wrapping her own arms around the torso of the sleeping boy next to her. Her eyes memorized his dark lashes, those soft, pink lips of his that fed her wonders whenever they were pressed against her. 

Isaac always looked the most at peace when he was asleep, all the fears and doubts that hung around them disappearing as soon as dreams spread behind closed eyes. 

She loved the color of them, that deep set blue. She loved them so much that after looking into them for an hour, she declared them her favorite color in the whole world. The way they stared at her, like she hung the stars in the sky, made her feel like she was **more**. More beautiful, smarter, braver. More important than anything else in their lives and she was secretly afraid of the day that they would lose that look. 

“Why're you staring at me like that?” said the lips that she had been studying so intently. 

“Maybe I like the way you look, ever thought about that?” she replied, planting a chaste kiss on his lips before murmuring softly, “Good morning.” 

He hummed in response, a smile curling up on his mouth as he brought her back to kiss her again, rolling them over so that he hovered over her. His lips pressed hard against hers, urging her to open up so that he could slide his tongue between them. While supporting his weight on one hand, he squeezed her side with the other as she arched up into him, smiling into their kiss when a deep moan escaped his throat. 

He was about to slid his hand up her shirt when a knock sounded on the door before Sarah’s far too chipper voice called out loudly to them, “Rise and shine, kiddies. Breakfast will be ready in five, if anyone wants pancakes.” 

“Did she say _pancakes_!?” Vanessa jerked up in excitement, Isaac’s head dropping to her shoulder with a groan, “Babe, move. I want pancakes.” 

“Don’t you want me?” he asked, rolling over onto his side and sending her one of his panty-dropper smiles with eyes glittering suggestively. 

She smirked at him, leaning forward so that her lips hovered over his before whispering softly, “I want pancakes _more_.” 

She sprang up from the bed and over to her wardrobe as Isaac made a noise of mock indignation before strutting out, swaying her hips as she went and aware of every single second his eyes stayed on them as she headed to the bathroom to take a shower. 

When she came out, she found him leaning against the wall waiting for her to finish up. She flashed him an innocent smile and slipped around him, skin burning from where it brushed against him as she kept walking past him and down the stairs to where the delicious smell of pancakes led her. 

Lisa was sitting down on a stool at the island, nursing a coffee - probably black from the circles under her eyes – and already dressed in her scrubs which told everything Vanessa needed to know. 

“Long day ahead of you, aye Mom?” she asked as she took a seat beside the blonde woman. 

“I assume Sarah told you about that animal attack that happened Friday night?” Lisa murmured, eyes flickering up to her before back to her coffee as she continued, “The woman who survived went into labor due to the stress she was under at the time and she’s been having contractions all weekend. 

“All weekend?!” Vanessa shrieked, dropping her fork onto her plate as she paled at the thought, “ _ **Oh my fucking God**_.” 

“You got that right, kiddo,” Sarah muttered from where she loaded pancakes onto her plate before doing the same for a plate presumably for Isaac. 

“Prolonged labor is a **_bitch_** to deal with,” Lisa groaned into her cup, exhaustion clinging to her as she placed it down with shaky hands, “Me and Melissa have been coming in and out of shifts all weekend. She was up the whole night last night so it’s my turn to oversee the proceedings today.” 

“Good luck with that, honey,” Sarah smiled with her brows furrowed in concern as she leaned over the counter to press a soft kiss onto her wife’s forehead. 

“I’m gonna need it.” 

Isaac appeared around the corner, dressed in a pair of black jeans and a dark grey shirt with that sexy leather jacket he had taken to wearing around. She didn’t notice any other jackets like that at his house and had a sneaking suspicion that Derek _might_ had already invested in new clothing for his little pack. Her boyfriend wandered over to kiss her on the cheek before taking a seat beside her, smiling bashfully at each of the older women. 

“Good morning,” Sarah grinned at him, sliding over the plate of pancakes she had finished up on, “This is for you.” 

“Thanks Sarah,” he murmured, cheeks tinted pink as he looked up at the older brunette, “You didn’t have to do that.” 

“Don’t be silly, kiddo. If your gonna be staying over, you may as well stay for breakfast.” 

The two teenagers ducked their heads at her knowing look, exchanging glances before looking away as they dug into their food. 

Lisa chuckled over the brim of her mug as she scolded her wife, “Don’t embarrass them, Sarah. I’m glad they’re having fun. At least they’re able to walk downstairs the next morning and sit at the table with us. Remember that one time back in junior year?” 

“How could I forget?” Sarah grimaced as she rubbed her side, “I still got scars from that time I fell out of your bedroom window.” 

“ _What?_ ” Vanessa laughed, leaning forward in interest at the story, “You **_fell_** from the second story window?” 

“Yep. Don’t have any regrets though,” the brown-haired woman smirked at the blushing blonde, “I had a great night and beautiful morning with the love of my life. Could’ve gone _without_ the rose bushes though, Lis.” 

“I removed them as soon as we moved in,” Lisa grumbled to herself, “Now, roses are forbidden in this household.” 

“For good fucking reason. They’re a hazard to everyone who comes near them.” 

“Only if you fall on them from the second story window, otherwise they’re relatively harmless.” 

Sarah sniffed, narrowing her eyes on a spot just outside the kitchen window as she muttered, “That’s what they want you to think.” 

The two teenagers laughed at the bickering couple, enjoying their breakfast as Sarah defended her opinion that roses were the worst flowers in the whole world while Lisa just hummed in agreement, not bothering to argue because everybody who was everybody knew that when Sarah held a grudge against something, she would hold that grudge until hell froze over and there was no being on earth that could change it. 

After breakfast, they both said goodbye to the two women before heading out the door for school. Now that the weekend was over, her self-declared time of ‘normality’ was also over and that weighed heavily on them both throughout the entire car ride there. Vanessa was surprised that she didn’t get a single call from either of her best friend’s that weekend and thought that maybe – _just maybe_ – the universe _actually_ **listened** when she spoke and adjusted it’s will accordingly, but even _she_ wasn’t as naïve as to truly believe that. The universe was a sick, sadistic mother fucking bitch that thrived on the suffering of it’s subjects and it held no mercy for the pleas of a tired girl or her pack of heart-ravaged teenagers. 

It was fifteen minutes of heavy silence, broken only by the breaths and the crackling of the radio as they held one another’s hands the entire way to school. They didn’t know why they felt like this, like something bad was about to happen but then again, it was Beacon Hills. You didn’t need a reason to feel dread because somewhere, somehow, the reason would jump out in front of you and create a bunch of tiny little problems that would take until senior year to fix up and even then, you would have to be on the lookout for the spawn of those tiny little problems. 

_Problems bred around here with a speed that put rabbits to shame._

Maybe that would be her senior quote. It was a work in progress, but she figured it was a good start. Vanessa parked the car next to the bike racks, a few spots over from a familiar blue jeep that drew a tiny sigh from her, just like it's owner usually did. 

_Good ole’ Roscoe. Stiles’ would be so proud of his baby living up to his legacy._

“You okay?” Isaac asked quietly, studying her with his brows furrowed in concern. 

Vanessa turned to him with a pouty lip as her eyes flickered from their hands to the school in front of them in reluctance before she whined, “I change my mind. Let’s have a long weekend.” 

“As much as I would **_love_** to spend another day with you alone,” he began with a faint smile as he brought her knuckles up to brush his lips against, “The World History midterm is today. So is my Chemistry test and your Econ makeup exam. You’re the one who preached about getting a good education, beautiful.” 

“I hate it when you use my words against me,” she grumbled, childishly crossing her arms over her chest. 

Isaac shrugged as he opened the door and grabbed his bag from the backseat, giving her sly wink as he said, “What can I say, love? You’re always right.” 

She shook her head at him, following him out after grabbing her own stuff as she muttered, “I’m holding you to that, mister.” 

“Looking forward to it, beautiful.” 

\- 

It was in second period where Vanessa, Erica, Boyd and Isaac gathered around the table to study when Allison came in, sneaking a glance at the camera overlooking the door before entering the science fiction aisle of the library. 

“They can’t _seriously_ think they’re being subtle?” Erica drawled lazily as she twirled a pencil between her fingers. 

Vanessa sighed deeply as she finished off her notes for World History and moved on to review her Econ textbook that she had been avoiding all morning, replying drily with, 

“ _Apparently_ , my plan to be incognito was ‘ _too complicated_ ’ and ‘ _too confusing_ ' according to the boys. At least you knew that my plan would have worked.” 

Isaac slipped an arm around her chair, chuckling in amusement as he informed her, “Scott told Stiles what you said. _Apparently_ , your friend thinks he can come up with better plans, love. Are you gonna let him talk like that about you?” 

“No I’m fucking not,” the girl grunted with violence in her eyes as she lunged out of her seat and stormed towards the shelves. 

Boyd raised a brow at Isaac after they watched her disappear into the aisle her friends were hiding in. 

“Stiles didn’t say anything, man. Why’re you riling your girl up?” 

“Because she’s hot when she’s mad. And I don’t like her friends.” 

“Just wait until I tell her you lied to her,” Erica laughed, flashing her eyes mischievously. 

Isaac paled at the thought and turned around with a charming smile as he drawled, “It doesn’t have to come to that, does it Erica?” 

“Oh, honey, it’s _definently_ coming to that.” 

While Isaac was begging Erica not to tell on him for his little white lie, Vanessa had disregarded all anger as she leaned against the shelf beside Allison as the boys poured over the tablet containing Lydia’s translation of the Bestiary. 

“It’s everything Lydia can translate and _trust me_ , she was **very** confused,” Allison whispered after getting a warning look from Vanessa to stay quiet about Lydia being in the know about all the werewolf stuff. 

“Yeah, what’d you tell her?” Scott asked curiously. 

Allison shot a panicked look at Vanessa before shrugging, “That we were part of an online gaming community that battles mythical creatures.” 

The short brunette beside her pursued her lips before nodding in approval as Scott scoffed in amusement. Stiles blinked at them all in confusion before admitting, “I _am_ part of an online gaming community that battles mythical creatures.” 

Vanessa snorted before snarking back, “And _I’m_ part of a friendship where my best friend is a mythical creature. Let’s move on. I fell asleep when Lydia was translating the whole thing so what more does it say?” 

“It calls the kanima a weapon of vengeance,” Allison informed her, eyes flickering up to the boy with the buzz cut before adding, “Stiles was right about the murderers. The kanima _is_ used to carry out vengeance by seeking out and killing murderers, usually of someone responsible for the killing of a friend, family member, lover. You name it, the kanima can kill it.” 

“Except for that woman,” Vanessa chimed in, crossing her arms as she leaned against the shelves. At everybody’s confused looks, she elaborated further, waving a hand at Stiles and Scott in disbelief, “You know, the one who survived that attack on Friday night. It must’ve been just before Jackson arrived at the station. He killed a twenty-three-year-old man but spared his pregnant girlfriend. You two must’ve heard about it by now considering your dad is the Sheriff and your mom is the primary nurse overseeing the baby’s delivery.” 

At their confused look, the brunette sighed in disappointment as she admonished them, “Come on! Haven’t you noticed that Melissa and Noah have been extremely busy this weekend? Lisa is only the secondary nurse and she already has dark circles under her eyes from exhaustion!” 

Scott scratched the back of his neck as he averted his eyes, muttering, “After she picked me up at the station on Friday, we haven’t really been talking.” 

Stiles’ shoulder slouched as he admitted sheepishly, “Yeah, Dad’s not my number one fan at the moment either but really, I didn’t expect to be after the earful he got from Jackson’s dad that night. When the tool said he would prosecute our asses straight to jail, he wasn’t bluffing.” 

“Instead he prosecuted our asses straight to a restraining order,” Scott shook his head in frustration before crying out, “Have no clue how we’re gonna keep watch of Jackson now!” 

“Um _excuse me_?” Vanessa whispered harshly as she jerked her thumb to her friend’s behind her, “You have three perfectly abled bodied werewolves who are jumping at the chance to help out if only you'd get your heads out of your asses and accept their help already!” 

Stiles stuck his head around the shelf, meeting Isaac’s laughing eyes and sending a glare at the boy before turning back to Vanessa’s gaping mouth as he shook his head, “ **No way in hell** am I working with your pretty, blonde boyfriend, Nessa. I can _smell_ the arrogance from over here.” 

“Funny, he could say the same thing about you,” the girl sneered back before waving him off, “Fine. How about my pretty blonde girlfriend? Erica’s in your Computer Programming class and volunteered to check to see if any of your classmates are particularly skilled in editing.” 

Vanessa turned to the girl beside her with soft eyes as she asked, “Allie, she was kind of hoping she could stop by your Photography class to see if there was anyone in there who knew anything about cameras and the equipment and if they could’ve lent some to Jackson? We’re thinking that the whoever took the video could have only known about it if they were the ones who gave Jackson the equipment so they’re looking there as a lead.” 

Allison nodded in agreement and prepared to head to her class early when Stiles’ spoke up. 

“Speaking of leads, did the Bestiary say anything about how we can cure Jackson?” 

“I thought you were part of the Jackson lynch mob – or at least you sounded like it from what you said on Friday.” 

“ _Real_ funny, Nessie,” he rolled his eyes at her before defending his choices, “Look, you made a good point and it’s not like I actually **wanted** to kill the guy. He just so happens to be a psycho murder lizard and I’m not a fan of getting almost murdered again, okay?” 

“Almost murdered is better than _murdered_ murdered, right?” 

“Not according to my therapist.” 

“Stiles, you don’t have a therapist.” 

“Not yet,” he scoffed at her before mumbling to himself, “Keep this shit up and it’s something I’m gonna have to invest in pretty soon.” 

Vanessa shook her head at him in exasperation before turning her focus to Scott, who had been silent the whole time while he was reading the translations with his brows furrowed as he announced, “I think there might be a cure.” 

“I read it too,” Allison admitted as she frowned at the tablet in confusion, “But it’s so vague that it might as well be nothing.” 

“Well, what _does_ it say?” the brunette beside her asked, standing on her tippy toes to see over the shelves as Scott read the passage out loud. 

“It says that the kanima is actually supposed to be a werewolf, but it can’t be until it resolves that in it’s past that manifested it.” 

Scott looked up from the tablet, seeing similar expressions of bewilderment spread across his friend's faces. They had no clue what that could possibly mean. 

Well, Vanessa had theories, she would admit because Vanessa without a theory was just a sad waste of space inside a pretty little package, but none of those theories she felt too confident in. She could always ask Derek that afternoon, but she was pretty sure that would draw a few blanks. 

_Oh well, it was worth a try but first, get through midterms._

“If that means Jackson needs a few _thousand_ hours of therapy, I could have told you that myself,” Stiles’ breathed out sarcastically, leaning one hand against the stack of shelves on his side as he shook his head at the tablet like it was all the book’s fault. 

Allison narrowed her eyes in thought, and it was kind of fascinating because Vanessa could see the idea physically form in the girl’s head before she suggested in a hesitant voice, “What if…..it has something to do with his parents? His _real_ parents?” 

Vanessa ducked her head as she inhaled sharply, “The adoption agency won’t give out that kind of information – _trust me, I’ve tried_ – but I know someone in Jackson's case who can get information.” 

“Lydia might know something,” Stiles added in realization, “The two have been inseparable since kindergarten, if anyone knows something, it’d be her.” 

“What if she doesn’t know anything?” Scott asked with a frown. 

“Well, he doesn’t have a restraining order against me, so I’ll talk to him myself,” Allison volunteered as she placed a book back on the shelf with a nervous glance at the librarian on the other side of the room. 

“Okay, what do _I_ do?” Scott questioned with wide eyes. 

Vanessa rolled hers before drawling lazily, “You have a makeup exam and a World History exam, babes. Get to studying, I know I am and I’m not even failing.” 

With that, she strutted back to the desk, arriving just in time to see Isaac’s shoulders slouch in guilt while Erica smiled up at her with as much innocence as a brothel maid, leaving Vanessa with no one else to turn to except Boyd, who was shaking his head at their two friends with an amused smile on his face as he waited for the brunette to start her interrogation of her boyfriend and best friend. 

And she did not disappoint, hands going straight to her jean clad hips as she leaned against the table to flicker her blue eyes from one dark blonde boy to the other golden blonde girl. 

“What did I miss, guys?” 

“Nothing,” the two replied, Isaac’s a mutter and Erica’s a chipper drawl. 

“Yeah, _real_ convincing,” Vanessa nodded sarcastically before taking a seat and returning to her studies but not before smiling knowingly at them as she said, “Isaac lied about the Stiles thing, didn’t he?” 

“Yep,” Erica nodded, popping the ‘p’ sound at the end while Isaac shot the girl a look of betrayal before turning to his girlfriend with a charming smile and innocent eyes that she had to admit, _almost_ convinced her to let him off the hook. 

But Vanessa wasn’t built for forgiveness and couldn’t let her boyfriend be the exception to her natural inclination to cause suffering to those that met her otherwise anarchy would ensue and it would damage her reputation irreparably. While she was mighty fond of her boyfriend, she was _also_ mighty fond of that reputation of hers and sighed deeply like she truly regretted what she was about to do. 

“Baby, baby, baby,” she shook her head at him in disappointment before letting him down easy, “You know, you gotta make it up to me now, right? I can’t let someone get away with lying to me without paying the iron price, you know? You know that, right baby?” 

“I’ll **_literally_** do anything you want because you’re _that_ terrifying right now.” 

Vanessa threw her head back laughing as she leaned into whisper, “Than what I want for you is to enjoy the rest of your day knowing that I will be calling on you to keep that promise at any point in time.” 

“You know, depending on what you ask, I _might_ not have any problems with that, like, _at all_ ,” he whispered back, turning his head to look her deeply in her eyes as he turned the tables on her, “I might really, **really** enjoy it in fact.” 

_Oh, you sly son of a –_

“Children, children, please,” Erica declared dramatically as she stood up to tower over them, “This is not the place, time or **_people_** you want to be doing this, okay? Now, you both have some studying to do while _I_ have some leads to look up on.” 

She gave them a slight wink before following Allison out of the library, linking arms with the tall girl and waving at the cameras as they passed under them with a flourish that only Erica Reyes would dare add. Vanessa sighed wistfully, smiling in pride as she leaned against her boyfriend’s shoulder to watch as the boys walked out at a safe distance behind them. 

“Isn’t she fucking amazing?” Vanessa murmured, gesturing to where the blonde had walked out, “Seriously, if I weren’t attached to you, Handsome, I’d be all over her in a heartbeat. What say you, Boyd?” 

“Huh?” the boy asked, turning from where his eyes were glued to the door, “What’d you say?” 

“I _asked_ if you remembered that little favor I asked you to do for me,” she lied without blinking an eye while Isaac chuckled from beside her, “About making sure Scott doesn’t get distracted?” 

“Oh, yeah, no problem.” 

“Dude,” Vanessa groaned as she waved her hands pleadingly at the door, “Why don’t you just tell Erica how you feel?!” 

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.” 

“ **Do not** play that game with me,” the brunette warned, shaking a warning finger at him as she said, “And _definitely_ don’t play that game with Erica. I tried the same thing with Isaac, and she called me out on it in two seconds flat. And I’m a better person for it. I now have a super hot werewolf boyfriend and having the time of my life with him every chance I can, you know, between avoiding being murdered and all.” 

Boyd leaned back in his chair with a sigh as he shook his head, “I’m not you and Isaac though. I don’t know how to – do what you guys do." 

“What? Sleep in the same bed?” Isaac drawled sarcastically, avoiding a kick in the leg from the scowling boy sitting across from him before laughing, “Look, I was in the same boat as you are only a month ago. I didn’t think I’d get a chance in hell with this one, but it took a formal, her in a dress and a really good song and now look at us.” 

Her boyfriend glanced down at her in adoration, eyes flickering from her lips to her own eyes as he murmured, “I’m having great nights and beautiful mornings.” 

Vanessa’s eyes widened in shock at his words, echoes of words uttered from the lips of her mother that morning when she was talking about her own wife. Except, he didn’t complete the whole sentence and her heart froze in her chest at those six missing words that had the power to make or break her. He stared back at her, just as shocked as she was, mouth forming words that couldn’t be voiced before Boyd interrupted by clearing his throat. 

“I can see that you two are having a moment so I’m just gonna go. I’ll see you later.” 

They both mumbled goodbyes as Boyd packed up his stuff and walked out, the two not breaking eye contact for at least two whole minutes before Vanessa whispered. 

“You’re creepy good at staring contests, you know that right?” 

Isaac snorted and like that, the spell was broken as he shook his head back at her in amusement. 

“I’ve been staring at you for a while now, beautiful. It feels good to have you staring back at me for once.” 

“How long is a while?” 

“Try since Junior High.” 

“I’m sorry – **JUNIOR FUCKING WHAT?!** ” 

Vanessa had never been shushed so much in her life until that moment when the librarian stormed over and threatened to kick her out for making fuss and throughout the entire lecture, she did not stop glaring at Isaac while he keeled over the desk laughing at her shocked outburst. 

\- 

It was the same thing throughout the World History exam except Isaac wasn’t laughing. He was sitting across the room, leaning against his desk with his head in his hands as he smirked at her with those _god-blessed_ lips curled up in amusement because he **_knew_** that she had a lot on her mind and almost none of it was on the Cambodian dictator Pol Pot and his regime that rivalled the likes of Hitler despite having been inspired by the wisdom and achievements of renowned pacifist Mahatma Gandhi. 

_Okay, so maybe I had enough brain cells to pass this test, but I am still hella angry._

That librarian could lecture a snake into a dove if she scolded hard enough. For _twenty fucking minutes_ , that lady went over the school rules and made sure she knew them, having made the girl repeat herself over a dozen times until she was satisfied she was listening, all the while her boyfriend cackled himself next to her without the lady blinking an eye at him. 

She didn’t see why Isaac got away with everything considering _he_ was the reason behind her outburst. How did she not notice that beautiful creature sitting behind her for almost four years? It didn’t make sense, she was blind but not so blind that she could have missed that – _again with panty dropped grin, Handsome?_ – sitting behind her the entire time. 

As soon as she finished her test, she headed outside to wait for him and latched onto his leather jacket as soon as he stepped foot outside the door, dragging him all the way around the corner and through the door that led to the roof before spinning on him with a scowl. 

“I _can't_ believe you have been sitting behind me since _eighth fucking grade_ and you **never** told me!” 

“Beautiful, we didn’t _know_ each other in eighth grade.” 

“That is _so **not**_ the point and you know it.” 

“What _is_ the point?” 

Well, he had her there. What _was_ the point? Why was she so angry? Was she angry at herself for not realizing he was there? For not snatching him up sooner? For being so self-centered that she didn’t see him? 

Isaac didn’t seem to care, rolling his eyes before pressing her against the wall and kissing her hard. Her arms went around his neck, pulling him down to deepen their kiss as his hands slid from her waist to cup her ass, squeezing hard as she moaned into his mouth. He pressed against her, picking her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist before breaking away to catch his breathe. 

“There’s **no** point. There’s just you and me, beautiful. Just you _and_ me.” 

“I’m starting to realize that, handsome,” she replied breathlessly before drawing him back in. 

It was safe to say that when she walked into the classroom to take her Economics makeup test, she was walking on clouds. Coach, to his credit, didn’t say anything about her mussed-up hair or how red her lips looked, or even the love bites that peeked out from the leather jacket that swallowed up her tiny frame. Instead, he gestured impatiently to the seat in front of him, slamming down the test and heading into his office while muttering about ‘ _kids today_ ’ and all that sort of nonsense. 

Vanessa sped through it as best as she could, double-checking to make sure that she would have a good chance of passing before handing over the test to Coach – who she was _pretty sure_ was napping – before scurrying out, meeting Isaac out the front and shoving him slightly with a smile. 

“You jerk,” she whined without any real heat, “I’m pretty sure I’m gonna fail Econ ‘cause of you!” 

“And how would that be _my_ fault?” 

“Because _someone_ decided to have a make out session right before my _makeup **test!**_

“It takes two to tango, love. Can’t blame the man when the girl was breaking out _just as many_ major moves.” 

“Firstly, it’s **_woman_** ,” she corrected with a smirk before holding up two fingers, “Secondly, leave the analogies to me.” 

Isaac leaned down to press his forehead against hers as he wrapped his arms around her to whisper, “With a **_woman_** as bossy as you, there can _hardly_ be an argument about how _I_ was the leading decision maker in what happened before. I didn’t hear any complaints, so I assumed that I was doing something right.” 

“Did you just call me bossy?” she laughed in disbelief. 

He was about to respond when he jerked his head back suddenly, glancing down the empty hallway with a frown and wide eyes that told Vanessa everything she needed to know as she gripped his arm tight while anxiety built up within her stomach. 

“ _What?_ What is it? What can you hear?” 

Isaac’s eyes flashed gold as his wolf stared back at her before he growled, “Allison and Jackson.” 

And her eyes turned to steel as she grounded out, “ ** _Where?_** ” 

He led her down the hall to the boy’s locker rooms, kicking open the door to find Jackson on top of the dark-haired girl, naked as the day he was born while he stammered out in shock. 

“Allison?!” 

“ **GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!** ” Vanessa ran over and shoved him off her friend, helping the girl up and shoving her behind her as she stood in between the shaking girl and the boy on the floor who gaped up at them both in confusion. 

“I didn’t – _I didn’t_ – it isn’t what it looks like – “ 

Isaac slid in front of them with his claws out and his eyes gold as he growled warningly. 

The door opened again, Scott storming through and his eyes widening at the scene before him. Jackson, leaping up and pulling on a pair of red boxer shorts, Isaac in front of the two girls and Allison shaking in the corner despite the reassurances she was passing out like girl scout cookies. 

“Scott, I’m fine – _I’m fine_ ,” Allison repeated, ultimately ignored as Scott lunged himself at the half-naked boy, throwing him against the lockers that fell back on impact, “Scott, **_stop, I’m **fine!**_ ” **

****

“ **I HAVE A RESTRAINING ORDER!** ” Jackson shouted up at the boy looming over him, teeth clenched in anger. 

****

“Trust me, I **_restrained_** myself,” Scott said back in a low voice that could only be described as the killing calm. You know, the type of calm where you knew this person was a tick away from ripping your limbs off? 

****

Isaac ushered the girls out and into the hallway, Allison struggling against him as she yelled at Scott that she was fine before being pulled back by Vanessa. Just in time too, because when she peeked her head around the corner, Jackson had lunged up and threw Scott into the lockers behind him, this time not making the mistake of letting him go. The two boys disappeared into the shower area, but Vanessa heard the thuds and grunts of bodies being thrown against hard tiles and turned to Isaac with a pleading look. 

****

Her boyfriend sighed, rolling up his sleeves before charging into the fray while she turned to look over Allison for any injuries. The girl pushed her hands away in annoyance, insisting that she was fine. 

****

“I don’t think he knew what he was doing, Nessa,” she whispered. 

****

“What? Like he completely black out?” 

****

The other girl nodded, eyes widening at every sound coming from the locker room behind them. 

****

Vanessa sighed, torn between the girl and the boys before checking, “Are you one hundred percent sure?” 

****

“He asked me what I was doing in there.” 

****

The brunette shook her head before spinning on her heel and charging in after her boyfriend. She found them still in the showers, Isaac hefting himself off the floor while Jackson slammed Scott’s head into the tiles, the boy managing to wrestle Jackson to the ground before being kicked off and back into the tiles hard enough that they crackled behind him. 

****

“Oh, Coach is _not_ gonna like this,” Vanessa muttered to herself as she gingerly inched her way around the lockers. 

****

Jackson had turned to face Isaac when Scott leaped over the shower wall and onto Jackson’s back, shoving the boy into Isaac, who slid the boy across the floor until his back hit the door to Coach’s office with a loud thud. But that didn’t keep him down for long as he got back to his feet and threw a weight directly at Scott, Isaac sliding in front of her best friend so that he took most of the impact while Jackson slammed him against the wall before turning on Scott. 

****

By the end of the fight, three basins were destroyed, the tiles in the bathroom were cracked, the entire floor was drenched in the water that sprayed from the taps like a fucking water fountain while the boys tumbled out of the locker rooms and into the hall outside where Allison jumped from her place at the wall. Erica and Stiles were there next to her, jaws dropping in disbelief at the scene before them as Vanessa inched her way around the fighting trio to stand next to her friends. 

****

“Yeah, I _was_ gonna interrupt but it was _way_ too late for that,” she explained, turning back to the boys as Erica and Stiles jumped in to help Isaac pull Jackson off of Scott. 

****

Footsteps echoed down the hall as more people appeared from around the corner, having heard the commotion from their classrooms. 

****

Isaac lunged back to stand beside Vanessa while Erica held back Jackson so that Stiles and Allison could pull Scott off the floor. 

****

“ **What the hell’s going on?** ” Harris’ voice bellowed, the students all turning to find him storming down the halls with that pissed off look in his eyes. It was the one he got where he hated what was happening but would relish in the punishment he would deal out. 

****

_Sadistic bastard._

****

“ **Hey! Enough!** ” 

****

Vanessa watched the crowd around them, eyes catching on a boy holding a familiar black tablet as his fingers flicked the screen. She jerked back in realization, slipping out of Isaac’s embrace and sliding around Harris while everyone’s attention was on the boys as she walked over to the guy and ripped the tablet from his hands with a scowl. 

****

“What the **_hell_** do you think you’re doing?” she hissed at him. 

****

The boy – _Matt, that was his name_ – narrowed his eyes at her before shrugging, “It had water on it. I was drying it. _Just_ trying to help.” 

****

“Do you usually look through someone’s personal shit when you **_help_** them? 

****

“You do when you want to check it’s not damaged.” 

****

“A simple on and off check would suffice,” she sneered at him before tucking the tablet away into Scott’s bag and headed back to Isaac just in time for Harris to issue out after-school detentions to everyone around him, including her and Matt with a malicious satisfaction that only someone like Harris could pull off and still be asked to teach at a high school. 

****

_God, he’s like the fucking Severus Snape of Beacon Hills._

****

“ **Everybody out!** ” Harris shouted at them, waiting until the crowd dispersed before following them, sending a smug smirk to Vanessa as he went. 

****

Isaac pulled her closer to him, staring daggers at the teacher before the couple turned to the other group of teenagers who had gathered around Jackson. 

****

“Guys,” the brunette called out to them with her hands on her hips, “Jackson has a restraining order against at least two of you. Unless you want to get arrested, I suggest you head on up and get lunch while you still can.” 

****

Stiles and Scott looked at her like they wanted to protest when Allison stepped forward and said softly, “She’s right. Let’s just get out of here, okay? Me and Erica still have that stuff we need to do and Stiles, you said you would help us out.” 

****

Stiles was about to say that he didn’t know what the heck she was on about when Erica gripped him by the shoulder and moved him forward to join Allison before the trio disappeared around the corner and out of sight. Scott sent one last threatening glare at Jackson before walking over to Vanessa and Isaac. 

****

Vanessa tilted her head at him with a knowing look as she asked, “Did you at least _complete_ the test before you ran here?” 

****

“I had four questions left. I took a guess,” Scott shrugged before sending a glare at Jackson, “ ** _I’ll pass._** ” 

****

“Let’s hope so or I will be _extremely_ pissed off – _**don’t get me started**_ on what Melissa will do if she finds out you failed,” Vanessa shook her head at him in exasperation before sighing, “Go meet up with Boyd and save us a table. I think I have a lead.” 

****

“You do?” 

****

“It’s not confirmed yet,” the brunette rushed out, glancing over her shoulder as a shadow disappeared around the corner, “I’ll let you in on my theory though.” 

****

Scott’s eyes flickered up to where she was looking, nodding that he understood before heading off down the hall, leaving Isaac and Vanessa to turn to Jackson with a raised eyebrow. The boy, still half-naked, scoffed at them, shaking his head as he headed back into the trashed locker rooms and stopped short at the mess they had made. 

****

“What the hell?” 

****

“Do you **_not_** remember what the hell _just_ happened?” Vanessa blinked at him, coming around to stand in front of the boy with the ability to turn into a psycho lizard and kill her in a blink, “Allison did say that you had no idea what you were doing. Did you black out or something?” 

****

“Why do _you_ care?” Jackson grounded out between clenched teeth as he threw on a t-shirt, “Last we spoke, you told me I could never be in a pack.” 

****

“Last we spoke, you were running out into the night and told me to kill Derek but _whatever_ ,” the girl snarked back, rolling her eyes before saying, “Believe it or not, I _do_ care what happens to you, Jackson. I know you probably heard everything that was being said while you were in that van on Friday so you should know full well that me and Scott stuck up for you – even if you _are_ an asshole half the time.” 

****

“I don’t need you or your **bitch** of a best friend to stick up for me!” 

****

Isaac growled at the boy’s threatening tone, prepared to step forward when Vanessa held up a hand to halt him. The girl cocked her hip out and grinned humorlessly at Jackson before continuing, “What you **need** , Jackson, is to **_be fucking careful_**. I know you think you’re just an average werewolf but your wrong. You’re out there **murdering** people and you don’t _even_ know it. What’s worse is that you’re not even in control of your actions!That’s right, some rando out there has a **leash** around your balls and you’ve been walking around like you’re a _**god** amongst men_!” 

****

“You’re a fucking _liar_ ,” Jackson spat at her, leaning down so that they were eye to eye, “ _No one_ controls me.” 

****

“That’s where you’re fucking wrong again, sweetie. **Someone** _does_ control you. How do you explain what we walked into before?” 

****

Jackson blanched before turning away, mumbling behind him, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

****

“You _don’t_ **know** what I’m talking about?!” Vanessa shouted incredulously, slamming a fist into the locker beside his head as she cried out, “Let me **refresh** your memory. Me and my boyfriend came into the locker rooms to find you **naked** and on top of my friend who was shaking because she was _afraid_ of **you**. Do you know what that sounds like? Do you know what that _looks_ like?” 

****

“I didn’t – _that wasn’t_ – “ 

****

“That _wasn’t_ you?” the brunette’s eyes widened before she whispered in his ear, “Than who was it, Jackson? _**Who was it?**_ Because there’s about ten other people who would **really** like to know. It would make sense to help them out rather than to fight them off because at the end of the day, they’re the ones who are trying to help you.” 

****

With that, she spun on her heel and headed out alongside Isaac, leaving the boy with something to think about. 

****

\- 

****

They had about ten minutes of lunch left when they sat down beside Boyd, across from Scott who’s leg hadn’t stopped bouncing as he listened to Allison’s heartbeat from the other side of the school, constantly checking that she was alright and had been telling the truth when she reassured him she wasn’t harmed. Vanessa eyed that bouncing leg warily and sighed to herself before snapping her fingers in front of his face to get his attention. 

****

“Hey, wolf-boy. Wanna here hear what I think?” 

****

Scott whipped his head towards her, nodding at her to continue. 

****

“I have a theory about who the person controlling Jackson is.” 

****

Boyd raised a brow at that, leaning forward in interest as he asked, “Who is it?” 

****

“I think that it could be that Matt kid. You know, the one on your lacrosse team?” 

****

Isaac frowned at her as he repeated, “Matt?” 

****

“Yeah, do you know him?” 

****

“Used to be friends back in junior high but he stopped coming around. Why do you think it’s him?” 

****

“He saw what was on the tablet,” Vanessa explained, watching as Scott’s brows furrowed in thought, “He was literally reading it, scrolling through it – who the fuck would read something like that with _actual_ interest besides us?” 

****

“Okay but he could’ve been just making sure it works,” Scott shrugged, settling back in his seat, “I saw him too, but he looked like he was drying it off.” 

****

“Yeah, that’s what he _wants_ you to think,” the girl whispered harshly as she elaborated further, “Think about it! He’s good with a camera, always seems to be lingering around and he even has some weird fascination with Allison. Like, he was taking pictures of her at her aunt’s funeral, for Christ sake!” 

****

“So was half the town, Ness,” Scott pointed out, shaking his head at her as he said, “I don’t think that immediately makes him the Master.” 

****

Isaac burst out chuckling at that. 

****

“ _The Master?_ _**That’s**_ what we’re calling him now?” 

****

“Any _other_ great ideas, Lahey?” Vanessa cocked her head up at him with an expectant look, the boy raising his hands in surrender despite the amused smirk on his face. 

****

The girl turned back to her best friend, sighing in frustration before relenting, “Fine. But I _definently_ think he should be on the list of suspects and should be investigated fucking **_thoroughly_**. I don’t like the way he looks at Allison and I don’t like the way he was looking at that tablet either.” 

****

“How was he looking at Allison?” 

****

“Kind of like you do but with less devotion and much more _emotion_ ,” she emphasised as she pointed at his pants with a suggestive widening of her eyes, “If you know what I mean.” 

****

A murderous scowl appeared on Scott’s face as he considered her theory – _and the new information provided by yours truly_ – before nodding at her in acceptance, “We’ll look into it.” 

****

She smiled sweetly at him before moving onto her other idea, turning to Boyd and asking sweetly, “What do you think about doing me _another_ favor this afternoon?”

****


	22. After School Detention Sucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was three o’clock when the group of eight stumbled into the library, Harris already standing there waiting, looking like a scarecrow in his all black suit that gave Vanessa ‘ _Death Omen_ ’ feels. Which made sense because she regularly attributed feelings of death to the teacher before her.
> 
> Jackson and Matt headed over to one table, Allison sending them a knowing look before joining them while Scott, Stiles and Erica sat at the other. Isaac and Vanessa exchanged looks before they both shrugged and sat down at the table beside them before Jackson stood up with an arrogant jut of his chin.
> 
> “We can’t be in detention together,” he told Harris as he gestured between himself and the two boys behind him, “I have a restraining order against these tools.”
> 
> “ _All_ these tools?” Harris drawled in boredom.
> 
> “No, just us tools,” Stiles groaned out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it wasn't obvious, I was super sleep deprived when I edited and uploaded so please be kind and show me some love x

It was three o’clock when the group of eight stumbled into the library, Harris already standing there waiting, looking like a scarecrow in his all black suit that gave Vanessa ‘ _Death Omen_ ’ feels. Which made sense because she regularly attributed feelings of death to the teacher before her. 

Jackson and Matt headed over to one table, Allison sending them a knowing look before joining them while Scott, Stiles and Erica sat at the other. Isaac and Vanessa exchanged looks before they both shrugged and sat down at the table beside them before Jackson stood up with an arrogant jut of his chin. 

“We can’t be in detention together,” he told Harris as he gestured between himself and the two boys behind him, “I have a restraining order against these tools.” 

“ _All_ these tools?” Harris drawled in boredom. 

“No, just us tools,” Stiles groaned out. 

“Fine,” Harris said, rolling his eyes and gesturing at Vanessa and Isaac’s table, “Swap tables with these two.” 

The two stood up and headed over to sit with Erica, who leaned forward with her eyes on Jackson as she said, “I can hack into my dad’s files, see what he has in there about that night, if you want?” 

“Thanks, sweetie,” Vanessa smiled at her before glancing over her shoulder at where Allison sat beside Matt, “But I think we have bigger things to worry about.” 

“Like what?” 

“I’m pretty sure we’ll find out soon,” the brunette responded vaguely as the boy met her eyes with a small smirk before turning to hold a conversation with Allison. 

While Erica got busy uploading the software she needed on her laptop, Vanessa pulled out her notepad and started writing down the victims names on a list when Isaac leaned down to whisper to her. 

“It seems your little theory became just more than a theory,” he smiled faintly when she perked up before jerking his head towards Stiles, “I think your friend came to the same conclusion you did.” 

“Good. That means it probably makes sense,” she nodded with glee, writing Matt’s name down on the paper before murmuring back, “Now we just need to find a connection between him and the victims to get our confirmation. Hell, we just need to find a connection with the victims _themselves_ and we could probably start predicting who he will go after next.” 

Isaac started chuckling to himself, gaining the attention of both girls as he leaned over the desk in front of him. 

“What’s so funny?” Vanessa asked. 

“You actually have a solid argument about why you think Matt’s the Master, but Stiles just thinks he’s evil because the guy bugs him.” 

She rolled her eyes at that, muttering back to him, “With that logic, you’d be the Master than.” 

“Wait, wait, hold up,” Erica frowned at them both with a small smile as she questioned, “We’re actually calling this guy _the Master_?” 

“Not to his fucking face, we’re not,” Vanessa scoffed, shaking her head at the idea, “He already has a big enough ego if he’s getting _Jackson_ to do his bidding. He doesn’t need to hear that we have a little super villain name for him and everything.” 

A groan came from behind them as Jackson got up from his seat with his bag on his back, clutching his head in pain. The boy started heading for the door while Harris asked if he was okay, Jackson waving it off that he just needed to get some water. 

Vanessa gaped at him, shooting panicked looks to Scott and Stiles while Harris warned them not to leave their seats while he went to make sure Jackson was okay. 

“What’s wrong?” Isaac murmured to her with his eyes locked on the door. 

“I’m not sure but we have to be quick,” Vanessa whispered back as she chucked her phone at him, “Send a text to Boyd and Derek, tell them we might need backup at the school.” 

She ignored his confused look before pointing at Erica, directing the girl to, “Start hacking.” 

The blonde didn’t bother arguing, giving her a mock salute before typing away at her keyboard. Vanessa hurried over to the desk Scott and Stiles were at, lunging for the seat and speaking in hushed whispers. 

“Okay, Scott, it’s two against one for Matt. Let’s run with that theory, okay?” 

Stiles’ turned to her with excitement as he asked, “Your bets on Matt too? Now I know I’m right.” 

“Funny, I said the exact same thing about you,” she said, sharing a quick smile with him before turning to Scott, “We need to find a connection between the victims. If we can do that, we can put aside the whole ‘who to suspect’ and find out who we need to save from these attacks. With the addition of that guy who got killed Friday night, we have Isaac’s dad, Argent’s hunter and the mechanic. I would say the connection is that they’re all in their early twenties but that doesn’t explain Mr. Lahey.” 

“The mechanic used to go to Beacon Hills High,” Stiles replied hesitantly, shrugging like it didn’t matter before a light bulb went off in his head as he met Vanessa’s wide eyes with matching realization, whispering in unison, “Yearbooks!” 

“Okay, you,” Vanessa pointed to Stiles with bright eyes, “Go to Erica and see how she’s coming with that hacking. She’ll fill you in on everything. Scott – “ 

_**“Scott McCall, please report to the principal's office,”**_ Victoria Argent’s voice called over the P.A 

Everybody in the room – except Matt, the evil bastard was munching on his chips - froze up at that. Scott exchanged a mildly concerned look with Allison before getting up from his seat, Stiles grabbing his arm to stop him when Vanessa kicked the boy’s leg, jerking her head at the camera zooming in on them from the wall. 

“It’s okay,” Scott reassured them, throwing his bag onto his shoulder as he pushed his chair in, “I’ll be fine.” 

“This might be our chance,” Vanessa whispered to herself, meeting Scott’s eyes before mouthing, “ _Be safe_.” 

He nodded back to her, sending Allison one last look before heading out. 

_Yeah, there’s no fucking way I’m sending him into a hunter's trap without fucking backup._

;Leaning back in her chair, she turned her head to face Isaac as she asked him quietly, “Isaac, how far away are Boyd and Derek?” 

“Boyd’s here. He just heard the announcement and will make sure everything goes down okay.” 

“Tell him to stay out of sight. We don’t want two dead wolves in one afternoon,” she murmured, swallowing nervously before she said, “Stay here and write down everything that comes out of Erica’s mouth.” 

“Yes ma’am.” 

Vanessa glanced at Allison, flickering her eyes at the shelves before heading into the aisle that held the yearbooks, waiting for Allison to join her. The dark-haired girl waited a moment before walking up to her, brows furrowed and eyes wide as she asked, “What was that announcement about? Why did my mom call up Scott to my grandfather’s office?” 

“Have no clue but he didn’t go alone. Boyd’s out front.” 

“Great, so **_two_** dead werewolves.” 

“That’s what I said!” Vanessa mumbled before waving the thought off, “That’s not why I want you here. What do you know about that Matt dude?” 

“Matt?” Allison repeated, glancing behind her to wave at the boy before turning back to the short brunette, “Nothing much. He invited me to some rave on Friday night. Seems good with a – “ 

“Camera?” she finished, raising an eyebrow at the girl who was paling by the minute, “We think _he_ might be the one controlling Jackson.” 

“ _Oh my God_ ,” Allison gasped out, pulling her close as she whispered, “Just before I went to talk to Jackson, I bumped into him. He was coming out of the locker room.” 

"Alright, so we have a suspect. Now to phase two.” 

“What’s phase two?” 

“We need to find a connection to all the victims, find a pattern or something, see if he is targeting a certain group of people.” 

“How do we do that?” 

“ _Yearbooks_ , sweetheart, yearbooks. According to Stiles, the mechanic used to go to Beacon Hills High. We need to see if we can say the same for the Hunter and that guy who died Thursday night.” 

“What year?” Allison asked as they turned to study the shelves. 

“2004 to 2006,” Vanessa replied, scouring the books for the correct dates when the door opened to signal someone coming through. And as much as she hoped it was Scott, she knew that it probably wasn’t. Instead, when she peeked her head around the corner, she found Harris walking in behind Jackson, the latter looking pale and sickly as he sat back down in his seat. 

She scurried back to her desk to join Isaac, Erica and Stiles as they stood up, prepared to hike it out of there when Harris started doing that evil, little laugh of his. Knowing what would come, Vanessa fell back down into her seat with a huff, rolling her eyes as she waited for the teacher to get on with his amusement and tell everybody what little _fools_ they were for believing escape would be so easy. 

“No, I’m sorry. Um, yes, _I’m_ leaving but none of you are. You may go when you’re done with the re-shelving,” the man patted the two stacks with a smirk before turning on his heel, calling over his shoulder in an arrogant tone that was practically **_begging_** for a bitch slap, “Enjoy the rest of your evening.” 

Everybody else sat back down, Vanessa rolling her eyes before gesturing for Allison to come over with her head. When the dark-haired girl crouched down beside her, she leaned in to whisper, “Why the hell does Matt have a copy of the Bestiary on his tablet?” 

Vanessa groaned, glancing behind her to shoot daggers at the boy before replying quietly, “Because _he’s_ the fucking Master.” 

“Okay,” Stiles rubbed his hands eagerly before getting up from his seat, “So let’s go take him down. Wolfettes, with me.” 

“Okay, one,” Isaac grinned sardonically up at the boy as he gestured between himself and Erica, “We’re not you’re ‘ _wolfettes_ ’. Two, what’s your big plan? For me and Erica to - _what?_ ” 

“Make like your Alpha and **_kill the evil bastard_** ,” the boy with the buzz cut hissed as he was pulled back down into his seat by the blonde girl next to him. 

Vanessa rolled her eyes at her best friend before reminding him, “There’s still such a thing called _murder_ , Stiles. Just because Derek got away with it, doesn’t mean these two will. There’s cameras everywhere for one, not to mention a fucking witness.” 

“Not if we kill Jackson to.” 

“ ** _Shut up_** ,” Erica growled out, eyes flashing briefly before settling down, “You’re not our Alpha and therefore we’re not killing _anyone_ without his say.” 

“Since _when_ does Derek **not** say yes to a little murder?” 

“It was one fucking time, Stiles.” 

“Not according to his eyes, Nessie.” 

“I regret telling you that now,” she said between gritted teeth as she took a deep breathe and pushed open the one of the books in front of her, “Look, even if I am right, we can’t do anything about it until we find a motive. Therefore, we need to focus on the victims, not the murderer.” 

“What about Jackson’s parents?” Allison asked, turning to Erica and Stiles’ with furrowed brows, “Did you find out anything from them?” 

Stiles was about to respond when Scott walked back in, eyes wide and panicked as he slipped in between the shelves. Vanessa, Stiles and Allison all exchanged looks of concern before getting up and joining him, Stiles’ remembering to maneuver one of the shelves into the aisle so that it looked like they were doing the work Harris had set for him. 

“What did my grandfather want?” Allison questioned with her arms crossed over her chest. 

“It was your mom and she somehow has it in her head that we’re having sex,” Scott collapsed against the shelves as Isaac’s laugh echoed through the quiet library, drawing everybody’s attention as the boy leaned back in his chair to throw a thumbs up at Scott before Erica kicked him underneath the desk. 

Vanessa scowled at him, turning to her best friend with a grimace as she apologized, “Sorry about him. How did you get out of there alive?” 

“She was doing this weird pencil sharpener thing and staring at me – “ 

“As much as I would love to hear the endless possibilities of how you didn’t get murdered – which you should have, BTW – we need to focus on the disturbing details of our resident lacrosse captain’s birth.” 

“ _Co_ -captain,” Scott corrected, earning himself incredulous stares from the group. 

“ _Co_ -captain,” Stiles emphasized, rolling his eyes at his best friend before telling them, “Jackson’s parents died in a car crash on June 14th, 1994. Jackson’s birthday is June 15th. Which means that he was born after his mom died by C-section. They had to pull him _**out of her dead body**_.” 

“Oh _**God**_ ,” Allison murmured, her hand going straight to her mouth. 

Vanessa shook her head with sympathetic eyes as she said, “That’s tough. Now I’m kinda glad I have no clue where I come from.” 

“So, was it an accident or not?” the dark-haired girl across from her asked suddenly. 

“The word all over the report is “ _in-conclusive_ ”,” Stiles told her, lips in a thin line. 

“His parents could have been murdered?” Scott questioned as he leaned on the shelving behind him. 

“If they were, it falls in line with the kanima myth.” 

“That was before we learned about the Master though,” Vanessa pointed out with a frown, “If it was just about Jackson, then that would make sense but it’s not. The people he’s murdering seem so random and diverse, so random that it _has_ to be specific. So, it can’t be in revenge for any sort of thing that has to do with Jackson or his biological parents but with the Master.” 

A shadow appeared beside her, Vanessa glancing up to meet Isaac’s eyes as he held up the yearbook he was looking through with a grim expression on his face as he said hesitantly, “I think I might have found a connection.” 

“ _Guys_ ,” Erica’s frantic whisper came from the other end of the aisle, all of them turning to find the blonde girl in a defensive stance as she stared at something they couldn’t see. 

The group moved gingerly to join her, staring at an open book on the ground a few feet from where they were standing, Matt and Jackson having gone quiet from the aisle they silently designated to be their working space. 

Scott gestured silently for them to go back into the aisle, jerking his head at Erica and Isaac to come with him as they moved towards the aisle at the other end of the row. 

Vanessa nodded to them before grabbing Allison and Stiles and waiting in the aisle they were in. Allison had moved to one end, head whipping around the corner for any sign of the two boys while Stiles leaned around the other corner to watch Scott and the two Betas near the other end of the room. 

“ _Shit_ ,” Vanessa heard Erica hiss before a loud bang erupted through the room. 

Allison and Vanessa joined Stiles as they all crouched at the mouth of the aisle, Erica appearing and ushering them back in as her eyes began to glow gold and her claws came out. 

Glass and pieces of the roof fell from the ceiling above them as another bang sounded, sparks of electricity flying at the corner of her eye as Erica towered over them with her head tilted up to watch something that they couldn't see. Allison’s hands were curled up in fists as she faced in one direction while Stiles hovered protectively over Vanessa’s back. 

“ **ERICA!** ” she heard Scott bellow out from the last aisle, voice morphed between human and animal. 

The blonde werewolf went to join the others when she roared, arching her back in pain as a shadow moved from behind her before she collapsed to the ground, golden eyes flickering out to brown. Vanessa barely caught her friend before her head hit the floor, dragging her onto her lap and holding her tightly to her as she screamed to Isaac and Scott. 

“ **WHAT’S GOING ON?!** ” 

“ **STAY DOWN!** ” Isaac roared back as the shadow moved again, too fast for her to see. 

_Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, **Fuck, Fuck, FUCK.**_

Her heartbeat was going a million miles an hour as she tried to breathe in through her nose and out through her mouth, rocking her still friend gently in her lap as she tried to calm down but her head grew hot, the loud crashes and sounds of growls _**too loud**_. Vanessa fell onto her back, holding Erica to her chest and wedging her friend between the shelf and her body. 

Vanessa felt hands rub at her back and Stiles’ voice in her ear but couldn’t make any of the words out as she tried to breathe. She thought she saw the flash of Scott’s green and black hoodie but couldn’t make out anything when her vision started blurring and was content on shutting her eyes tightly, listening to the sound of electricity crackling from a hanging wire from the roof. 

Everybody was silent except for the scrapping, like someone drawing on a chalkboard before the window shattered and footsteps moved. It was like hearing all of this from underwater and as much as she wanted to come back up for air, she just **_couldn’t_**. Like she didn’t know how to swim without a life raft. 

_“Nessa?”_

Except it sounded like someone was trying to give her a rope. 

_“Nessa, love?”_

A rope to a life raft. 

_“Nessa, beautiful, please **breathe for me**.”_

A life raft that would take her home. 

“ **NESSA!** ” 

She jerked back, rolling both her and Erica over as the girl started seizing in her arms and it was like the world came back to her. The orange flickers of electricity falling from the roof, the flashes of black leather and blue eyes and the shuddering mass of blonde hair in her face that belonged to her friend. 

Her friend who was again, _seizing in her arms_. Something they thought she would never have to go through again. Vanessa lunged up, breathing heavily as strong arms went around her and dragged her back against a hard chest as a voice yelled at orders to someone in front of her. 

“ _Get_ – Get Erica to Derek! Get her out of here **now**!” 

“What about Ness?” 

“I’ve got her, just focus on Erica!” 

The blonde curls disappeared from her vision as the owner of them was lifted up out of sight. Vanessa blinked erratically, trying to get her brain to reboot back to a function where she could do more than just breathe. 

“Nessa, baby,” Isaac’s voice whispered in her ear as he draped her boy over his, “I need you to _come back to me now_. Need you to focus on my voice, Ness. There’s a lot of people that need you right now, Erica needs you right now, so I need you to be strong and **_fight_** through this, okay beautiful?” 

She couldn’t move, _**she couldn’t fucking move**_ and it pissed her off that she couldn’t even express how pissed off she was because again, she just couldn’t fucking **move**. It was like everything was taking twice as long to process, twice as long to understand. It was like looking for something for fifteen minutes and realizing you had been staring at it the _**whole** fucking time_. 

“Vanessa, _fight for me_ , beautiful. I know you’re scared but you gotta fight okay? Take a deep breath and fight through that fear.” 

“Isaac!” a familiar, feminine voice called out suddenly, “Is she gonna be okay?” 

“ _She’s having a panic attack_ ,” he growled back, and she felt his arms tighten around her as that voice softened slightly as he started talking to the girl in his arms, “Hey baby, hey, can you hear me? Can you hear me right now? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.” 

His warm, gentle hands slipped into hers, gripping it tight and settling them on her chest as she gasped out for air. She shut her eyes shut and focused everything she could into squeezing his hands, feeling her heart settle slightly when Isaac let out a sigh in relief. 

“Yes, yes, okay. I know it’s hard, and I know that you’re probably rolling your eyes at me, and God, don’t I just love your eyes, beautiful blue eyes that _I need **looking at me**_. Look at me, Nessa. Let me see your eyes.” 

Vanessa heaved in shuddering breaths as she tilted her head back slowly to see him, eyes going straight to his chin, up to his lips that curved into a reassuring smile, tracing his cheekbone all the way up to those dark lashes that framed deep-set blue eyes. 

“That’s my girl. Now I need you to listen to my heart, okay. Just listen to it and fight the fear. You’re a fighter, aren’t you Nessa? I know you have to be a fighter because only a fighter would survive this long. Only a fighter could see the things, hear the things, know the things that you do and walk around with a smile every day. My brave, Nessa. The bravest person I know. I need you to be brave one more time.” 

She managed to nod her head slightly, laying it back down onto his chest as she focused on her breathing, his heartbeat and one very clear line of thought. 

_I’m alive. I’m not trapped. It’s gone. We’re free._

_I’m alive. I’m not trapped. It’s gone. We’re free._

_I’m alive. I’m not trapped. It’s gone. We’re free._

Her eyes widened as she finally managed to inhale through her nose instead of her mouth, taking a deep, long breath as her nails dug into the tough denim that covered Isaac’s legs and exhaled. 

It took a moment before she could get the hang of it again, gripping onto Isaac tightly as she breathed in and out until she was confident enough to try to heft herself up. She put her head between her knees as she gasped out loud, Isaac rubbing circles into her back as she tried to compose herself. 

_What a stupid fucking time to fall apart, Vanessa! Erica’s in trouble, Allison’s alone and Jackson is God knows where because you can’t keep your shit together for five fucking minutes!_

“Is she okay, Isaac?” a voice she now realized to be Allison asked with panic lacing her tone. 

“I’m fine Allie!” Vanessa croaked out, coughing to clear her throat as she glanced back at the boy behind her. 

“Can you breathe?” he asked her, waiting until she nodded before looping her arm around his neck and helping her up, slipping one arm around her waist as she sagged against him, “Let’s go. Boyd’s waiting.” 

He glanced back behind him to the last aisle, yelling out to Allison, “We’ll check in later once we know Erica’s okay.” 

“Don’t worry about me. Get Nessa somewhere safe.” 

He nodded before heading out, lifting Vanessa up and into his arms once he realized she wasn’t quite capable of walking by herself due to the tremors in her legs and the way her vision wouldn’t stop blurring. She didn’t even know they were in the carpark until another pair of arms took her while Isaac searched her pockets for the keys, her car beeping to signal it was unlocked before she was placed lying down in her back seat. 

“How long ago did they leave?” she heard Isaac ask someone as he started the car. 

“About fifteen minutes ago,” Boyd’s voice replied before turning uncertain as he asked, “Do you even know how to drive?” 

“No, but I’ve seen Vanessa do it like a hundred times so it can’t be that difficult.” 

It didn’t even process with her how fucking **_illegal_** it was to drive without a license, but it was **America**. She learnt to drive when she was ten. Albeit it was Stiles’ uncle’s tractor but still. This was going to be easy because at least Isaac could actually see more than five feet in front of him. And he had his super cool werewolf reflexes, so it was going to be a piece of cake. 

It turned out that a piece of cake meant Isaac was granny driving and it took them twenty minutes to get to the Den, into the carpark and to park the fucking car which meant that Vanessa had uploaded enough brain cells to make a few mental notes along the way. 

_Note: Get Derek to take his Betas to get their fucking license and teach them how to drive._

The two boys helped her out, barely having to support her at all since she had regained most of her facilities during the grueling car ride, including her ability to dish out sarcasm like the best of them. 

“Don’t fucking drop me,” she drawled as they helped her carefully down the steel steps, “If you thought I was bad back there, baby, you wouldn’t want to see what happens if you drop me.” 

“It took you less time to come back this time,” Isaac pointed out in an attempt at being an optimist, “Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.” 

“The bright side doesn’t suit you, handsome.” 

“Just trying it out.” 

A scream rang out through the room, Vanessa almost tripping over herself in shock when she heard it be staggering down the rest of the way and stumbling over to the subway carts, gasping out in horror at what she saw. Erica was on the floor with her head thrown back, Stiles’ arms wrapped around her in attempt to keep the girl still while Scott yelled at Derek who was crouched across from him, claws deep in her arm and drawing blood. 

“What the **_hell_** are you doing?” she breathed out, collapsing onto the fall at her friend’s feet. 

“It’s to kickstart her healing,” the Alpha growled out, brows furrowed in concentration, “And I need to bleed the venom out of her.” 

“What can I do?” 

“I need you, Isaac and Boyd to gather around her. Pack provides comfort, helps speed up a wolf’s healing.” 

“But I’m not – “ 

“ _Cut the shit!_ ” the man yelled out, pulling her hard next to him and ignoring Isaac’s growl of warning as he jerked his head down at the girl, “You’re her pack, even before she became a werewolf so hold her hand or _something_ because this is gonna hurt like hell.” 

His claws dug deeper into Erica’s arm, the girl roaring in pain as she writhed in Stiles’ arms. Vanessa did what she was told, picking up the blonde girl’s hand and holding it tightly in her own as Boyd and Isaac held onto her legs so she didn’t kick out at anyone. Halfway through the bleeding, Erica’s cries died off as she collapsed back into the boy who was holding her. 

Vanessa watched with concerned eyes as the blonde girl squinted up at the boy, murmuring softly, “Stiles, you make a good Batman,” before passing out from the pain. 

Derek waited a bit before withdrawing his claws, nodding at Boyd before getting up and heading out of the cart over to the makeshift kitchen to wash his hands of his Beta's blood. Boyd heaved the unconscious girl into his arms before walking out after him, leaving the four teenagers to collapse onto the grimy floor in exhaustion. 

“So,” Stiles drawled from where he lay, “Nice place you got here. Love the furniture.” 

“Thanks,” Vanessa breathed out, “It was my idea.” 

“Her idea but Derek’s money,” Isaac chuckled from where he leaned against the wall. 

“And you’ve been hiding out here this whole time?” Scott asked. 

Isaac nodded, not bothering to take his eyes off the brown-haired girl on the floor. Scott shook his head at them before getting to his feet, the other three teenagers jerking up to follow him as he made his way over to where Derek was sitting at the table. 

“I’m gonna help you stop him. As part of your pack,” Scott announced, Derek’s head whipping up in shock as the boy continued, “If you want me in, fine. But we’ll do it on one condition. We’re gonna _catch_ him, not _kill_ him.” 

Derek’s eyes flicked over to the short brunette who was being helped out of the subway car by Isaac, smiling faintly before replying, “Me and Vanessa have already come to an understanding so what else do you want.” 

Scott’s face hardened in determination as he insisted, “We’re gonna do it _my_ way.” 

“Um, wrong,” Vanessa drawled as she lowered herself onto Isaac’s designated chair, “We’re gonna do it _my_ way.” 

The girl turned to look at the table in front of her with a sigh before declaring, “And we’re gonna need some new furniture.” 

\- 

They were all tired, dirty from the debris that had fallen from the library ceiling – _serious, they need to clean the vents because the amount of grime in her hair right now was **ridiculous**_ – and hungry beyond all mortal comprehension. Hell, she was _human_ , and she felt confident enough to challenge her werewolf boyfriend to an eating contest despite knowing he had the metabolism to wolf it down in one go. But she was starving, and all intelligence left the human mind when you were in a state of drooling over the mere _mention_ of food. 

She almost attacked Stiles with bear hugs when he volunteered to go out and get pizza from the local Dominos. The poor boy couldn’t run out of there fast enough, yelling back at Scott to throw her some chocolate bars or something. Isaac had made her a ham and cheese sandwich to tide her over, taking her up to see how Erica was doing to keep her mind off of eating her own arm. 

The blonde girl was lying on her cot, sweat drenching her sheets and bedding as she shuddered violently, her body taking longer to heal from the venom and the wounds Derek left on her. Boyd was sitting in a chair by the bed, watching her intently, eyes widening at every groan or hitch in the girl’s breath. Isaac and Vanessa made their way over to them, the brunette crouching down at the chest of Erica’s belongings to pull out some pink pajamas before getting up and facing the boys, who were looking at her expectantly. 

“I’m gonna clean her up and put her into some comfortable clothing,” she explained, waiting for them to get up and go busy themselves. When they didn’t move, Vanessa raised a brow at them both and elaborated. 

“I need to take her clothes _off_ and I’m _not_ doing that with you two lurking around!” 

To their credit, they immediately started moving, blushing cheeks and ducked heads of embarrassment as they moved past her to wait downstairs. The girl turned back to the unconscious blonde in the cot, shaking her head in amusement as she took off her friend’s jacket and her cobalt blue sleeveless top, folding them on top of the chest before she moved onto her friend’s boots and jeans. Left only in her underwear, Vanessa called out for one of the boys to get her a wash basket and a towel before turning back to cover up Erica from the cold. 

The sound of someone climbing up the ladder drew her attention, Boyd’s head popping up cautiously as he moved the bucket full of water and towel up onto the platform. Vanessa smiled at him gratefully, taking in his concerned eyes that flickered to his packmates shivering body, and quickly reassured him, “As soon as I’m done cleaning and dressing her, you can come back up and watch over her. Like Derek said, pack helps heal.” 

“And _you’re_ pack too.” 

It wasn’t a question. Her head whipped up to meet his eyes, genuine eyes, before nodding at him with a small smile. 

“I guess I am.” 

Boyd nodded back before dropping back down and walking over to where the other wolves were gathered in the makeshift kitchen. She sighed before heading back over to her best friend to wash her up, grinning slyly at the unconscious girl as if she were awake and laughing, “That boy has it **_bad_** , babe. And I’m gonna give you hell about it once you wake up.” 

Erica didn’t respond, eyes squeezed shut in pain while her body shuddered. Vanessa swallowed nervously, tears welling up in her eyes as she whispered, “Please wake up sometime soon.” 

She spent the next half an hour washing away the grim and sweat that covered the girl, cringing at the stains left on the sheets under her body before helping her into the pink pajama set she had picked out and whistled for Boyd to come help her move Erica onto another cot so she could change the sheets. 

“I can wash them tomorrow,” the boy offered as he heaved the unconscious blonde into his arms, “She can stay in my cot tonight.” 

“What about you?” 

“We _literally_ live in an abandoned building. Someone had to sleep on the floor sooner or later.” 

Vanessa laughed at that, watching as Boyd lowered Erica gently onto his cot in the corner of the platform before tucking her in. She smiled as the boy placed a loose curl behind her ear and hummed to him softly. 

“You really care about her, don’t you?” 

He didn’t look up when he answered, “It’s hard not to.” 

The brunette tilted her head at him before replying softly back, “Ain’t that the truth.” 

Turning away from the two, she made her way downstairs and over to where the wolves were gathered around the table, taking her designated seat on Isaac’s lap which caused Scott to scrunch up his face in disgust. 

“ _Dude_ ,” her best friend groaned as he waved a hand at the couple, “She’s like my sister.” 

“And your _sister_ can sit on her boyfriend’s lap if she wants,” Vanessa drawled back, kissing said boyfriend on the cheek despite the symphony of heavy sighs happening in the background. She broke away from Isaac, rolling her eyes as she asked, “Where’s Stiles with the food?” 

“ _Stiles_ ,” a voice called out from the top of the stairwell, “Would be able to get here sooner if he had another set of hands to help him with the six pizzas the **werewolves** ordered.” 

“You have it wrong,” Scott called back as he got up from the camping chair, “Half of those are for Ness.” 

“ _Of course_ they are,” Stiles grunted as he tried to balance the stack of boxes he was carrying until Scott took them from him and effortlessly headed over to the table while the other boy glared at him, “Show off.” 

“Alright, everybody eat your fill,” Vanessa announced, rubbing her hands in anticipation before calling out to the boy on the platform above them. “Boyd, did you want anything to eat?” 

Isaac leaned in to murmur to her, “He said he’s fine.” 

“More for me, I guess,” she laughed before making ‘gimme gimme’ hand gestures at the meatlovers, “ ** _Mine_**.” 

The boy behind her chuckled before reaching over and maneuvering the box so that it was in front of them, earning twin shouts of indignation from the boys sitting across from them before they were silenced by a look from Derek. 

Once they had all loaded their plates and were settled down, Derek turned to Isaac and Vanessa expectantly before asking, “Alright, did we find out anything?” 

“I think we might have another lead on who the Master is,” the brunette answered back around her pizza, wiping at her mouth before correcting herself, “And when I say lead, I mean a suspect.” 

“Who?” 

“Matt Daehler,” Isaac responded, adjusting the girl in his lap so it was more comfortable for him. 

“On the Lacrosse team, Yearbook Committee and takes Computer Programming and Photography,” Stiles added with his mouth full. 

Derek stared at the boy for a moment before turning back to the couple to his left and frowning, “So he’s good with a camera? I know you, Ness, there has to be more of a reason you suspect this boy.” 

“Um, other than his middle name being _Creep_?” Stiles snorted. 

The Alpha raised a brow as his head whipped back to the boy, “Is _your_ name Vanessa?” 

The boy raised his hands in surrender, the brunette across from him deciding to relieve her best friend from running his mouth further and taking the wheel by explaining, “Earlier today, there was a fight between Scott and Jackson that was…. _messy_ , to say the least. A few broken basins and damages to the plumbing which meant that by the time the teachers arrived, there was water everywhere.” 

“The tablet with the translated version of the Bestiary got wet and I watched Matt pick it up and start scrolling through it. When I confronted the guy, he claimed that he was drying it off and making sure it still worked. That was all the evidence I had on him until Allison saw him with the translation on his _own_ tablet, reading it all through detention.” 

She leaned back against Isaac’s chest as she muttered, “I could excuse the first time, but it doesn’t make sense to send a document from someone else’s tablet onto your own unless it was of _interest_ to you. Matt is the Master, I would bet my life on it.” 

Derek turned serious at her certainty, clasping his hands and leaning forward as he asked, “Do you have any idea why he would send Jackson out to kill people?” 

She was about to respond that they didn’t have a motive yet when Isaac interrupted her to announce, “We might not have a connection between Matt and the victims, but we _might_ have a connection between the victims themselves.” 

The Alpha waved a hand for the boy to continue, Isaac pulling out his phone and zooming in on a picture he took of a single page of the yearbook as he explained, “Before taking ownership of the cemetery, my father used to coach the swim team at the high school, back when my brother, Camden, still went there. The thing is that all the victims were either on the swim team or _connected_ to it.” 

“Let me see that,” Stiles said as he extended his hand out for the phone. Isaac handed it over to him, slightly disgruntled at being ordered around and they all watched as the boy studied the picture with furrowed eyes as he said out loud, “Tucker was the mechanic, Bennett was the hunter and Sean and Jessica were the couple who were recently attacked. Sean didn’t make it, but Jessica did.” 

“My dad and brother are also dead,” Isaac added, voice catching slightly when he said the last word before resuming, “So that just leaves the last member. Kara Simmons.” 

“If I can point out the connection to my dad, I think he’d be able to get us an address,” Stiles offered, taking the last piece of pizza as a self-reward, “And we can come up with a plan to protect her or something.” 

“Or trap Jackson again,” Derek suggested lowly, giving the two boys a look as he continued, “But _my_ way this time because we all saw how _good_ your way was.” 

“Yeah, _you_ did,” Vanessa winked at the Alpha, eyes flickering from him to the boy with the buzz cut very suggestively. 

Stiles and Derek glared at her to shut up while Isaac and Scott exchanged confused shrugs before she put them all out of their misery and moved on from the subject as she revealed, “I think we should go with Derek’s idea. There’s a perfect opportunity coming up this Friday.” 

“What opportunity?” 

“Well, I learnt from Allison today that Matt asked her to an underground rave thing happening Friday night,” she explained, narrowing her eyes on Scott when he growled at the thought of his girlfriend going out with someone else, “I heard about it around school too. Apparently it’s happening not too far from here in some warehouse. I think that it’s a good place to trap the guy. It’s in your territory, you have the place all mapped out. Push comes to shove, you can take him back to the Den and deal with him here.” 

“I said trap Jackson, not trap this Matt guy.” 

“I bet you that wherever Matt goes, Jackson will be around.” 

“Bet your life?” 

“Bet Scott and Stiles’ life too, if I have to,” she retorted, ignoring her two best friends gaping at her as she stared at the Alpha to her right. 

She knew that she shouldn’t challenge him like this, not with his Beta sitting right under her but she had a plan. And if they could all work together, it could get them the answers they needed and put an end to this nightmare once and for all. Derek seemed to follow this train of thought as he sighed deeply before asking, “What’s the plan?” 

Vanessa wolfed down her last piece of pizza before smirking at them all in amusement as they waited, keeping them on the edge of their seats before announcing. 

“Anyone know a vet?” 

\- 

Her and Isaac left an hour later, saying goodbye to Boyd and Erica, the latter still asleep but had stopped seizing a while ago, before giving a nod to Derek and making their way up to the garage. 

It took a while for them all to agree on times, let alone agree to _any of it_ , but after a lot of arguing, some compromises and _a lot_ of negotiating on her part, they agreed they would all visit Deaton at the clinic on Wednesday to find out if the doctor had anything in his little drawer of medicines and herbs that could help take down a kanima long enough for them to capture it and get answers from it – **_if they could_**. Or if that didn’t pan out, trap it long enough for it’s master to come after it, revealing to them once and for all who it was. 

But she wasn’t stupid – it was fucking Matt Daehler and she would bet everybody’s lives on it. 

That was how certain she was. She would risk _everybody’s **life**_ on a hunch. 

The two teenagers walked through the front door of the O'Connor house, Isaac turning to the girl beside him as she hung up her jacket and said in a tired voice, “You think one of these days we might get a moment to ourselves that lasts for more than a weekend?” 

“In your dreams,” Vanessa snorted, turning around to head upstairs when they were stopped by Sarah, who came out of the living room with a grave expression on her face that promised _at least_ an hour of lectures. 

Or so they thought. 

“Where have you two been?!” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she whipped her head back and forth between them both, “School ended **_three hours ago!_** ” 

“I’m sorry we’re late,” the girl sighed before launching into her excuse, “We had detention and then after that – “ 

“Sarah!” Lisa’s voice called, “They can explain themselves later!” 

The older woman in front of them shook her head before relenting her interrogation and gesturing to the living room as she told them, “You heard the woman. There’s more important things to talk about.” 

Vanessa and Isaac exchanged confused glances before heading into the living room, Lisa sitting on the couch with a stack of papers in front of her. The two teenagers warily took a seat across from her, huddling close in a subconscious attempt to draw comfort from each other as they observed the blonde woman shifting aside to make room for her wife, who sat down with a tired sigh. 

“What’s going on?” Vanessa asked, leaning forward and clasping her hands together, “Why are you two being weird?” 

“Do you remember how we told you there was another animal attack? That a young man was found dead but his girlfriend was found alive?” 

“Yeah, she was the one who went into prolonged labor, right?” 

Sarah cleared her throat before continuing on her wife’s explanation, “She didn’t make it but her baby did. And we talked about it – “ 

“We spent most of the afternoon talking about it actually – “ 

“We **really** talked it over – “ 

“Like, _**really**_ talked it over – “ 

“And you wanna adopt the baby?” Vanessa finished, having come to the same conclusion as soon as they mentioned that the child had been orphaned. Her and Isaac shared a grim look of acknowledgement at the irony of the situation. 

_Orphaned like Jackson._

“But we didn’t want to make any decisions until we talked to you first,” Lisa said, reaching over to put her hand over her daughter’s and squeezing it reassuringly, “If you’re not comfortable – “ 

“Mom, _please_ ,” she smiled back, looking at both of the women with excitement, “I would love nothing more than to have a little baby brother or sister.” 

“ _Brother_ ,” Lisa corrected, grinning at Sarah before repeating, “A brother. It was a boy.” 

Isaac slung an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders, lips twitching as she started bouncing excitedly in her seat, before asking the two women, “What are you gonna call him?” 

“Well, considering Vanessa’s named after my father,” Lisa began, pulling back to sidle closer to Sarah, “We were going to name him after Sarah’s grandfather. He was the only one that sent letters to Sarah after – “ 

“After my family chucked me out on the sidewalk,” the other woman drawled, jaw clenched as she rolled her eyes, “The old man didn’t buy into all that bullshit they were spewing about how it was a sin and shit. He was an atheist so that shit didn’t fly with him. Said if it was love, it was love. Wasn’t anyone’s business but ours. He checked up on me from time to time during the senior year but then he got sick – “ 

Sarah stopped, shaking her head as she sniffed, “It doesn’t matter. He was the _only_ good one, he was.” 

“We wanted to name the boy after him,” Lisa smiled gently, widening as she revealed the name, “Nathaniel.” 

“Nathaniel,” Vanessa whispered the name, rolling it on her tongue before beaming brightly, “I love it. Nathaniel O’Connor.” 

The girl jittered before her head whipped up, eyes wide as she asked, “When is he coming home?” 

“Tomorrow night, as soon as I hand the papers in. It’s not our first adoption so we should be all good.” 

“What about the nursery?” 

“Well, considering that school’s cancelled for tomorrow,” Sarah began, eyes narrowing as the two teenagers grimaced sheepishly, “We figured we can go shopping and you two can help out with the nursery. Speaking of school being cancelled, mind letting us in the know?” 

“Um, _so_ ,” Vanessa stammered, the excuse lost on her tongue because of all the baby business, “I – “ 

“We had detention and somehow the roof caved in the library,” Isaac took over as he flickered his eyes to her, shooting her a silent look to play along before continuing, “We must’ve got to the hospital a little after you left but everybody in detention was all checked out and everything. I think a kid was even hit by some debris?” 

Lisa’s hand flew to her mouth in horror as she gasped out, “That’s **_horrible_**. You two weren’t hurt, were you?” 

“No, Mom,” Vanessa smiled reassuringly, “We were on the other side of the library.” 

“We’re glad you kids are home safe now,” Sarah nodded at them both before settling her gaze on the boy, “I actually wanted to speak to you both about something else.” 

Vanessa didn’t like where this was going. Isaac shifted from the sudden attention and readied himself. 

“We want to meet the man that Isaac’s been staying with,” the older brunette stated, eyes narrowed at the two teenagers as she added, “We want you to invite him for dinner this weekend. Saturday night.” 

“You want to meet _Derek?_ ” Vanessa repeated incredulously as she whipped her head between the two adults. 

“Yes. He _is_ the man who’s been taking care of Isaac, _right_?” Lisa confirmed with a raised eyebrow. 

The teenagers fell over themselves to agree, Isaac taking the lead by sheepishly telling the two women, “I’ll have to ask him about it. He’s been pretty busy, covering for his uncle’s hospital bills and trying to find a job – “ 

“He doesn’t have a job?” 

Vanessa rolled her eyes at Sarah before groaning out, “Mom, he’s been on the run for a murder that he wasn’t even _conscious_ for. Give him a break before he’s even been asked to dinner – or should I say, _interrogation_ because that’s what it really is.” 

“No, it’s a dinner,” Sarah replied with a disappointed sigh as she tilted her head to the blonde sitting next to her, “Lisa _**insisted**_. Not my idea.” 

Lisa gave them both affronted looks before scoffing, “ _Excuse me_ for making sure that Isaac is being looked after properly.” 

“I could’ve done that at the police station!” 

“And take the only adult willing to provide for the boy away from him!?” 

“ _We_ were willing – “ 

“That was before we decided to adopt Nathaniel,” Lisa reasoned before turning back to Isaac with a soft smile as she reassured him, “We would’ve agreed to foster you in a heartbeat, sweetheart, you know that right?” 

Isaac nodded at the woman, smiling back with the sun in his eyes before Vanessa lunged up from her seat with her hands held out in front of her as she brought the two women to attention and away from their bickering. 

“Alright, enough. We can all agree that you want to do right by Isaac, okay? Is he the favorite child? Yes. Does he know that by now? Yes. Is he exhausted from nearly being taken out by a roof today? Let’s ask him – “ 

The girl turned to look down at her boyfriend to ask, “What’s say you, babe?” 

He raised his thumb and fore finger so that they barely touched before replying, “ _Just_ a smidge.” 

Vanessa waved her hands at him in emphasis, her mothers’ calming down and looking forward with sheepish smiles. Lisa stood up, making her way around the table in between them and brought both her daughter and the boy into warm hugs as she murmured to them, “I’m so glad you too are okay!” 

“Thanks Mom.” 

“Thank you, Lisa.” 

They pulled back from the blonde woman as Sarah joined them, reaching up to lay a gentle hand on Isaac’s shoulder as she told him gently, “You know, you’re _always_ welcome to stay here. We _would_ offer you the guest room but – “ 

He stopped her before she could continue with a faint smile, “I understand. You’ve done more for me than you know.” 

The women nodded at him before waving them on up the stairs, Lisa calling out, “Get some rest, guys. We have a long day tomorrow!” 

Isaac smiled back as Vanessa pulled him along, the girl closing the bedroom door behind them and falling onto the bed with a tired sigh. She fingered the blanket under her, brows creased with thought as she wondered out loud to the boy who had taken a seat next to her, “You know how you asked if we might get a moment to ourselves?” 

His lips pressed softly to her neck, strong arms wrapping around her as they brought her closer to his side so that she could lean her head against his shoulder, whispering back to her, “I _distinctly_ remember you saying ‘in my dreams’, but go on.” 

“I kinda like your dreams.” 

Isaac chuckled, brushing his knuckles along her cheek as he coaxed her to face him. She pressed her forehead against his, smiling as his arms tightened around her. 

“I like my dreams too.” 

He pressed a kiss to the corner of her lips, a small gesture that sent warm tingles from her mouth to her chest. Vanessa didn’t know how to describe what she felt, just sitting there with his lips on hers as exhaustion settled into their bones and ached in a way that threatened to drag them both under. Her fingers ghosted his face, lashes lowered as she tried to find the words to tell him just how grateful she was to have him hold her as he did, instead choosing to give him a smile as she got off the bed to get changed. 

When they had both showered and dressed, they found themselves in the dark room, in her bed, with her head resting on his bare chest as she listened to his heartbeat. It was slow and steady, lulling her to sleep with the constant reassurance of it’s thrum until his chest rumbled as he spoke. 

“You know, our lives are kinda crazy right?” 

Vanessa hummed in agreement, letting out a breathless laugh as she replied, “Kinda figured with the werewolves and hunters and kanimas that it would be a little unusual.” 

“But you know,” Isaac began as his hands trailed up her arms, “Even though we almost die every day now, I don’t really mind. Well, _the dying bit_ I could go without but everything else……I would gladly live with.” 

“Why’s that?” 

“Because I have you.” 

The brunette lifted her head slightly to look at him, mouth curling up into a small smile despite the glassiness that overtook her eyes as she murmured back, “You say the sweetest things and expect me to go to sleep afterwards.” 

Her lips met his, warmth seeping from her to him before she pulled back to nuzzle his neck, all the while whispering. 

“I’m glad I have you too, handsome.”


	23. Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanessa and Isaac go baby shopping and romantic shenegains - amongst other romantic things - ensures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- The title for the chapter is from the song with the same title "Brother" by NEEDTOBREATHE. I always liked this song and I thought it was a very appropriate message throughout the chapter.  
> \- I hope everybody enjoys the new update and please let me know what you thought. As always, suggestions, criticism and feedback is welcomed and deeply appreciated.

The thing with babies was that they were _adorable_. Too adorable for words, honestly. Vanessa had once read something that explained that the reason human’s want to squeeze babies and puppies and all the cute innocent creatures of the world was because of something called ‘cute aggression’. Apparently the human brain gets so overwhelmed by the response to being in the presence of cute things that our natural default instinct is to kill it. It was scary shit like ‘cute aggression’ that made her second guess her ability to be a threat to someone, even in her fragile human state. 

That and the fact she had almost killed Isaac when she saw the baby clothes section and tried to trample him in her excitement to get to the aisle. Lisa came up beside him, taking the spot her daughter vacated and chuckled to herself as they watched the brunette flitter around the aisle. 

“You’d think she was the one having a baby,” she joked, taking great joy as Isaac blanched at the implications behind it, “I’m just kidding. Vanessa’s always wanted a little baby brother or sister.” 

“Scott and Stiles _are_ her brothers,” he replied, glancing down at the blonde woman, “She says so every chance she gets.” 

“That’s different. Even growing up, they would play and would treat her like a little sister, protecting her against the forces of evil. I remember this one time she was in the attic – although, to them, it was a tower – and the boys had to defeat the evil monster prowling the halls – either me or Sarah – and rescue the beautiful princess above. Scott and Stiles would run through the halls and sneak around us to get to her. But they never could.” 

“So, what? Vanessa stayed in the tower waiting for the two to save her? Doesn’t seem like her style.” 

Lisa’s eyes glittered knowingly up at him, nodding in agreement as she smirked, “You’re right. It wasn’t. She would get bored waiting for them, sneak past us all and go get something to eat. It wasn’t until we heard the TV going that we all realized she got tired of waiting for someone to save her and saved herself.” 

“She must have gotten bored playing pretend all the time.” 

“She was. Until Sarah suggested that Vanessa would be the one to save the two boys,” Lisa threw head back laughing, leaning against the trolley as they strolled along after the girl who had moved on from baby clothes to toys, “Her escapades were ones of fiction – at least to the standards of a mother with a five year old daughter. She was never caught, not _once_. When we asked how she managed to get the two boys and get out without me or Sarah catching her, she just gave us that cheeky little smile of hers and said ‘if you don’t want me rescuing my brothers, don’t steal them from me!’” 

Isaac chuckled alongside the woman, seeing how it all played out in his head. He had seen pictures of Vanessa around the house when she was little, usually standing next to a little Scott or Stiles. He had seen her in one picture with a red headed girl in a cowboy hat and couldn’t help but remark that it was definitely age five when his girlfriend developed that mischievous side that loved to scheme and plot. But the side of her that protected others and cared so much about everybody, he could tell that side had been there for far longer. 

“Despite it being a game, Vanessa always took protecting those under her responsibility seriously,” Lisa told him with a wistful smile, shaking her head, “I don’t know why, but it was like she was practicing for the future. When she would have a little brother or sister, she wouldn’t give up on saving them or protecting them from monsters. And God help the _monsters_!” 

A swarm of warm brown curls bounded up to them with bright blue eyes full of eagerness. Vanessa thrust the armful of toys into the cart with a grin before turning back to get more. Lisa reached out to stop her, laughing as she gestured to pile of plush toys she had dropped. 

“Did you get _enough_?” 

The brunette looked down to inspect her pickings, considering the pile for a moment before she looked back up, eyes wide as she asked, “Should I get more?” 

“Do you _want_ to fill the whole nursery with toys?” 

Isaac’s lips curled up, smiling in amusement as his girlfriend nodded at the prospect of filling her brother’s room with toys for days. 

_I love her._

His heart stopped in his chest. 

His eyes whipped up to trace her features, boring her image into his mind. 

The way the store's florescent lights lit up the golden strands in her curls, the way her hair bounced around her as she flittered from shelf to shelf, bright blue eyes that he treasured so dearly searching for what she sought. 

Her lips curling up in victory as elegant fingers reached up to pluck her prize and take it as her own. The way she smiled as if she had won but she alone knew what. 

Her laughter and the warmth that it made him feel, compared to that of the sun through the curtains of her bedroom in the early hours of the morning. 

Her touch, so sweet and so sure. It brought his wolf to heel, brought him to peace. Sent heat into his chest. 

He was hers. 

_I loved her._

He fell in love with Vanessa O’Connor in a supermarket shopping for baby clothes for a baby that wasn’t theirs. 

More importantly, more _truthfully_ , he was pretty sure he had fallen in love with Vanessa O’Connor long before that, at a time where she didn’t even know he existed, but he remembered it like it was _yesterday_. Lisa’s story of the girl rescuing the two boys she called brother from the pretend monsters in the halls of her home reminded him of the first time he ever saw her. 

_It was almost four years ago, the first day of Junior High. He had been sitting at the back of his home class, the teacher droning on about how things went around there, that just because they were technically in high school, it didn’t mean they were allowed to fool around. That they were to be responsible and act with diligence. The teacher had been reading out the rules, having declared that he would not accept tardiness in his class when she had stumbled through the door._

_She was beautiful, even back then when no one noticed her or her friends. Her hair was longer, all the way down to her waist. He had noticed that she had dark rings of makeup around her eyes that would look sloppy on anyone else but not her. Her jeans were ripped and he could tell it was from her own hand. Very badly. Her converse were ratty and was covered with dirt – looking back, he could probably presume that she was no stranger to the Preserve. But it was her smile that captured him, so bright and out of place with the dark persona she was trying to pull off. He had never seen her before in his life and it was at the age of thirteen, that he wanted to know everything and anything about her. More so when she opened her mouth to speak._

_“Sorry, teach,” the girl had drawled, strolling over to lean on the desk as the teacher turned to her with a look of disapproval, his arms crossed over his vested chest, “Got stuck in traffic.”_

_“In Beacon Hills, Miss O’Connor?” the teacher raised a brow, calling her bluff, “I don’t think so.”_

_The girl – O’Connor – didn’t cower by this, though. Instead, even at the age of fourteen, she had the audacity to grin lazily up at the older man and shrugged, “What can I say? Beacon Hills is a strange place. Traffic comes and goes in the blink of an eye. It just happened to be my….unlucky day.”_

_Everybody could tell she didn’t want to be there. That whatever had caused her to miss half of home class was her lucky break. Including the teacher, who glared at her menacingly._

_“Get to your seat, Miss O’Connor, and don’t be late again.”_

_The girl tipped an imaginary cowboy hat to man before making her way to a seat – which happened to be two seats over from himself. O’Connor had just taken her seat when two boys tripped over each other to get through the door, their eyes drifting to the grinning girl in the back to the teacher tapping his foot in impatience as he stood to meet them._

_“And where, may I ask, have you two been?”_

_“Got stuck in traffic,” the two boys said at the same time._

_The whole class had erupted in giggles, none louder than the girl at the back. Isaac had watched as the teacher’s head whipped back and forth between the girl and the two boys in barely restrained anger._

_“That’s exactly what she said!”_

_The boys looked at the girl in surprised, the more confident of the two grabbing his chest with faux shock as he shouted, “Hey, Nessa! You got stuck in that crazy traffic jam too?”_

_“The one on main street?” she questioned, cocking her head as she leaned back in her seat, “Yep.”_

_Isaac swore that steam left the old man’s ears as he stormed up to the girl – Nessa O’Connor – and sneered down at her._

_“If you don’t tell me where you were this morning, Miss O’Connor, I will be ringing their parents and sending your friends to detention. Would you like that, girl? Would you like to be the reason those boys get in trouble?”_

_O’Connor stiffened in her seat, previous amused blue eyes hardening into steel as she considered the man in front of her, nose scrunching up in derision as she murmured back for the whole class to hear, “I’ll make you a deal, sir, I’ll take the detention and you let them off with a warning. Feel free to call my mom - you know, the deputy who drove me here – and tell her that her daughter Vanessa was accused of lying and wagging on her first day of high school because of a pile up in main street that was deemed more important than getting her daughter to the home room class so she could listen to the same droning nonsense she’s heard a hundred times before.”_

_The whole class was deadly silent as Vanessa stood up from her desk, leaning forward as she snarled._

_“I dare you to give her that call. I’d love to watch a miserable old twat like you get chewed out for thinking his home class – which is useless by the way – is more important than the five lives my mother helped save on her way to work this morning.”_

_She shrugged on her backpack with a scoff before calling out behind her, “I’ll see myself out but if I see my friends in detention, I’ll make sure to let the Sheriff – Stiles’ father, FYI – that his homeroom teacher sneers down on the law and all those that fight to protect and serve this little town of ours.”_

_With that last note, Vanessa O’Connor walked out of the room without a care in the world. And the affections of a boy she never looked at for almost three years._

A hand settled on his arm, drawing him from the memory and down to the two blue eyes that had captured his heart and held it hostage since that first day of junior high. 

Vanessa stared up at him in concern as she repeated his name for what must have been the third time in the moments he had spent reminiscing. 

“Sorry, what did you say?” 

“I _asked_ if you wanted to get some food?” she repeated, lips twitching in amusement at the slight color tinging his cheeks. 

“Oh yeah,” he nodded, scratching his neck sheepishly as he looked around for Lisa but found the woman humming as she headed to section for the cribs, “Did Lisa need help with anything?” 

“She told us we could go ahead. She’ll be fine with everything else.” 

“She doesn’t need me to help lift anything?” 

Vanessa grinned up at him, snaking an arm around his as she led him towards the front of the store, “Lisa could probably lift _you_. She doesn’t need any help.” 

“She can do _what_?” 

“Yeah, Mom’s pretty magical like that,” she hummed as they made their way out of the store, “But then again, I had to get it from _somewhere_ , right?” 

Isaac shook his head at the girl before leaning down to press a kiss to her hair, whispering to her in adoration, “I wouldn’t be surprised if your kind of magical was unheard of.” 

“I _knew_ I liked you for a reason.” 

_And I knew I loved you for a reason too._

\- 

The food court was crowded, the loud noise of chatter from family and friends alike proved too much for Isaac’s wolf hearing, so Vanessa opted to find them a quiet place in the mall stairwell that led to the roof. Her, Scott and Stiles had discovered it a few years back when they were bored and wanted to avoid running into Jackson and his goons. It was usually only attended to by an employee on their smoke break, one that could easily be avoided or swayed for money to go to their smoking addiction. Back in junior high, when her anxiety and anger ate at her until she was controlled by the two volatile emotions, she didn’t care about anything but getting to the top, one step ahead from teachers and students alike. All that she cared about was making herself feel good – and Scott and Stiles because they were a packaged deal, as she liked to tell the friends she had made back then. 

The world ‘friends’ was a **very** loose term for the people she "hung out with" back then. But they showed her the ropes, the secret places to hide or to hang when you wanted to get away. The way to get to those places by less than savory means. Those means happened to be lying, bribery and blackmailing – means she still used but only for the good of her friends. 

_And sometimes for my own amusement but hey, change takes time! Don’t be so fucking judgy._

“Where are we going?” Isaac asked, following her as she walked up the stairs. He had chosen to carry their drinks while she clutched their meal from McDonalds in her hands. 

“To the roof,” she replied, counting the steps in her head. 

_Gotta keep myself busy so I don't stop right here from exhaustion._

“Won’t we get caught?” 

“Between the both of us, I’m sure we could come up with something.” 

He scoffed at that despite the crooked grin curling up on his lips. After two more flights of stairs, they appeared out onto the roof, the fall breeze catching their hair and the mid-day sun burning their backs as Vanessa went over to a shaded area and sat down cross legged on the floor. He followed her, sprawling out after setting their drinks down and watching with soft eyes as she set out the food on top of the paper bag, putting the fries in a pile so they could both share. 

“Can I ask you something?” she asked him as they were unwrapping their food. 

“Anything,” he replied without hesitation, perking up with interest. 

“When did you realize that you liked me?” 

Isaac lifted his head slowly, gulping nervously as he stammered, “Uh, back in Junior high.” 

“But when was the _exact_ moment you realized?” 

“Well,” he cleared his throat, tilting his head slightly before sending her a small smile, “When was the exact moment you realized you liked me?” 

“As soon as I realized you were my partner for Art. Your turn.” 

“Is this another game of twenty questions?” 

“Considering we didn’t get to finish out last game, I thought, why not?” Vanessa gave him a knowing look before drawling, “You’re stalling.” 

“I’m _not_ ,” Isaac shook his head in denial, “I’m just trying to remember the exact moment.” 

“Can you at least give me a time frame?” 

“It was definitely the first day of Junior High. You walked into homeroom late.” 

Vanessa frowned, trying to remember the day before throwing her head back laughing, “I remember that! Fucking Nickson was a dick to me from that day on despite the fact that the pile up made the news that _same night_!” 

“Did he end up calling your parents?” 

“He did actually! Sarah and Chief were so pissed off that they asked him down to the station and explained to him about the complaints box they had so that instead of being a _whiny prat_ and taking it out on us kids, he could put in an official complaint.” 

“No wonder he looked like he wanted to throttle you every morning.” 

“Yeah,” she smiled as if reminiscing a sweet memory, “I had no clue you were in my class.” 

“I don’t blame you,” he replied earnestly as he bit into his burger, “I was a quiet kid.” 

“And now you’re dating the biggest loudmouth in Beacon Hills?” 

“I think Stiles has you beat there, beautiful.” 

Vanessa considered it for a moment before nodding in agreement, “Yeah, makes sense.” 

It was after she finished off her burger and had moved onto devouring her nuggets that she asked, “What was it about me that you liked?” 

He was about to answer when he realized the game they were playing and held up a finger with a teasing grin as he pointed out, “My turn.” 

The brunette slumped back against the wall before rolling her eyes, “ _Fine_.” 

“Don’t pout,” he chided playfully before throwing a couple of fries in his mouth, “That’s cheating.” 

“Pouting is not _cheating_. It’s a natural facial expression that one makes when they don’t get their way.” 

“I understand that may be disconcerting for you, love, considering you always seem to be getting your way but _you’re_ the one who wanted to play this game and we must follow the rules.” 

“You just said you liked me back in Junior High. I _definitely_ didn’t follow the rules back then.” 

Isaac smirked at her own stalling, calling her out, “Chicken?” 

His taunt worked, the girl straightening up with a fierce fire in her eyes as she waved her hand at him, “ _Ask your question_.” 

“What was it about me that _you_ liked?” 

Vanessa glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest childishly as she whined, “That’s _not_ fair. New rule: can’t use the same question twice.” 

“Since that rule was made after the question was asked, it makes the question valid.” 

She gaped at him, throwing her hands up as she exclaimed, “What are you? A _lawyer_?!" 

The boy laughed with his hands held up in surrender, “I just want my question answered. That’s all.” 

“You’re not gonna let this go, are you?” 

“Nope.” 

“ ** _Fine_** ,” she growled out, taking a long sip of her coke before replying in a quiet voice, “It was your face.” 

“ _Excuse me_? I couldn’t hear you - could you speak a _bit_ louder?” 

“It was your face, okay? I liked your face! Agh! You’re so mean!” 

Isaac fell back, holding his stomach as he laughed at her while she sat there, chewing on her nuggets angrily. When he had recovered enough to speak, it was in gasping breaths that he told her, “I feel – so – _special_ – now!” 

“Yeah, you’re feelin’ _real_ special now,” she grumbled before sliding the bag full of fries closer to her, “But will you be feeling special when I chuck the bag over the roof.” 

In a flash, the boy was up with his hands wrapped around her wrist as he smiled at her placatingly, “Let’s not be _hasty, beautiful. Your foods in there too.”_

__

“I’m feeling a _bit_ put out right now so I don’t think that argument will win you any favors.” 

__

“What about this?” 

__

He leaned forward to capture her lips in his own, holding himself up on his hands at she wrapped her arms around his shoulders to pull him forward. The fries lay forgotten on the paper bag beside them as he maneuvered them so that she was draped over his lap and he was underneath her, her small body pressing in close to his. Her hands slid down to press against his chest while his own settled on her waist. His mouth danced against her in a silent persuasion to forgive him, to share in his humor and, to _most_ importantly, **_not throw the food of the roof_**. 

__

Isaac pulled back to rest his forehead against hers as he breathed out in satisfaction, “Did **_that_** win me any favors?” 

__

Vanessa pursued her lips before smiling wickedly back at him, “I don’t know. Let’s try again.” 

__

He gathered her up against him once more, kisses hot and tangy as they grasped each other tightly, smiling against each other’s lips in a victory they would claim for themselves but would rather share with each other. They must have been kissing until the chips went cold when the door to the roof flew open and a pimply employee came out with a cigarette already lit and between their lips. They stopped short at seeing the couple, before coughing to make their presence known. 

__

Vanessa rolled off of Isaac’s lap while the boy sheepishly fixed himself up. 

__

“Sorry, we’ll be outta here in just a sec,” she told the employee, who scoffed at them before turning away to look at his phone. 

__

The couple gathered up their stuff, shoving the warm fries into their mouths and hurrying back down the stairs, laughing to one another as they stumbled out the door and back into the mall. Her phone beeped with a message from Lisa telling them to meet her at the car. 

__

Isaac slung an arm around her, hand dipping into the back pocket of her jeans as she leaned into his side while they headed for the carpark. Vanessa looked at the boy next to her with a cheeky grin as she pointed out, “Don’t think I didn’t notice you not answering my question.” 

__

“What question?” 

__

“Don’t play dumb. You know what question.” 

__

“Humor me.” 

__

“I don’t humor anyone but myself, babe,” she shook her head at him in mock disappointment, “You should know that by now.” 

__

“Not even for your boyfriend who’s face you like very much?” 

__

“Isaac!” the brunette laughed, swatting his arm playfully. 

__

“Alright, alright,” he fended her attacks off with a crooked grin before sighing like it took a great effort, “To answer your question, yes. I will marry you – but only after you buy a ring.” 

__

Vanessa swatted his arm again, the boy cackling as he dodged her flailing arms before she managed to hook them around his neck and pull him to a stop, pleading blue eyes and pouty lips tilted up at him. Isaac groaned, burying his head in her hair before whispering, “Your eyes.” 

__

The girl pulled back to repeat incredulously to him, “My _eyes_?” 

__

“Yep. I liked your eyes. And your hair. And your mouth. And your little spitfire attitude. I liked it all.” 

__

“What did you like about it?” 

__

Isaac raised a brow before leaning down and reminding her, “It’s my turn! And I say raincheck on twenty questions.” 

__

“Well,” she stuck her nose up in the air at him before declaring, “I say I want a piggyback to the carpark.” 

__

The boy straightened up, pretending to consider it before he nodded in agreement, “Deal.” 

__

\- 

__

An hour later, after driving home and unpacking everything they had brought into the guest room, Isaac and Vanessa were sprawled across the floor trying to put together the wooden crib that Lisa had picked out. Vanessa, of course, had no clue what she was doing. That was kind of what you would expect from someone who didn’t bother looking at the instructions and insisted that she knew what she was doing due to her 'natural inclination towards creating various instruments of normality'. 

__

Which was really just her bullshit excuse to cover up the fact that she thought it looked easy and quickly found that it was _not_ as easy as she thought. 

__

But her pride had made her bed and forced her to lay in it – because it was that or admit to her boyfriend, who shot knowing smirks at her from where he leaned against the wall, that he was right and she was wrong. She just wasn’t ready for that kind of defeat yet. 

__

“You know,” Isaac drawled, head tipped back as he watched her under his lashes, “If that crib falls apart with the baby in it, it’ll be your fault. You know that right?” 

__

_Her head whipped up to look at him with wide, outraged eyes as she exclaimed loudly, “ **It won’t fall!**_ **Don’t say that! You’ll jinx it – then it will be _your_ fault!” **

****

He raised an eyebrow at her childish rebuttal, not turning away as she stared at him aghast. She knew he was right, that her baby brother was probably going to get suffocated in his crib the first night he slept in it and she would be blamed because she wouldn't admit she was putting everything in the wrong place and making a big screw up on the nursery. 

****

Isaac waited patiently for her to come to this conclusion, fighting back a smile as she sighed in disappointment. 

****

“You’re right.” 

****

“I’m sorry. Did you _just_ – “ 

****

“ ** _Do not_** ,” she growled out, blue eyes flashing in warning, “ ** _finish that sentence_**.” 

****

Isaac chuckled before settling himself beside her, gently taking the wooden parts from her hands and offered, “You can help pass stuff to me, if you’d like?” 

****

Vanessa crossed her arms with a pout before relenting, “ _Fine_.” 

****

Now that Isaac had control, they finished the crib in forty-five minutes and had moved on to decorating the room with toys. Vanessa spent ten minutes picking out which stuffed animal got the privilege of staying in the crib, inspecting them as if they were troops lined up for the next war while Isaac groaned from where he leaned against the doorway waiting. 

****

“ _Just_ pick one, Nessa!” 

****

“I can’t _just_ pick one,” she cried out incredulously, throwing her hands up to gesture at the shelves, “It has to be _the_ one!” 

****

“I doubt you were this picky when it came to me.” 

****

“You so _did not_ just say that!” 

****

Isaac raised both hands up in surrender, stepping back out of the room but not without whispering, “Just so you know, Sarah sent us a text that she was coming home to take Lisa to the hospital.” 

****

“Great! Put a freakin’ time limit on me! Not like I’m under _enough_ pressure already!” 

****

“You’re picking out a _toy_ , Nessa, not deciding the fate of mankind!” 

****

“I’m deciding the fate of my brother’s childhood, _thank you very much_!” 

****

He shook his head at her before disappearing around the corner, leaving her to do her business. She knew subconsciously that she was overreacting, but this stuffed toy was going to be the kid’s friend from ages zero to at least ten. They had to be fun, easy to find and comfortable to cuddle. It was going to be covered in vomit, tears and all the different colors of the rainbow by the end of it and it needed to last. 

****

Her eyes scoured the array of toys she had chosen, snagging on a black puppy dog sitting behind the other brown bears. She plucked it from the shelf, turning it around and grinning with mischief as she set the stuffed animal in the corner of the crib, the blue glass eyes staring at her as she left the room, calling out to her boyfriend, “I found one!” 

****

“Oh, I thought you were _never_ coming out of that room!” he joked when she came to sit next to him on the couch in her bedroom, slinging her legs over his with a smile. 

****

“How ‘bout we never leave this one?” 

****

His smile grew wide as he pulled her close, her giggles ringing out before they faded away with the kiss he landed on her lips. A kiss that they continued for what felt like the rest of the afternoon without a single interruption. 

****

\- 

****

It wasn’t until later that night, when the two grew bored with kissing and decided to sprawl on the couch watching movies while they waited for Sarah and Lisa to come back from the hospital. 

****

The two teenagers had argued about what to watch – torn between the Terminator and Back to the Future. Per usual, they decided to settle their argument with a few rounds of scissors, paper, rock. And per fucking usual, Isaac _**cheated**_. 

****

“I did not!” 

****

_Oops, did I say that last part out loud?_

****

Vanessa had turned to him with a brow raised, “You didn’t?” 

****

The boy had curled his lips up into a smirk as he pointed out, “You’re the one who said you can’t cheat in scissors, paper, rock.” 

****

So now she watching Marty McFly rocking out to ‘Johnny B. Goode’ by Chuck Berry and she could honestly say that her boyfriend had good taste in movies. Well, come on, he had good taste in girls too, so she shouldn’t be surprised. 

****

“You still cheated!” 

****

“For the last time, you _can’t_ – “ 

****

She cut him off with a kiss, moving to straddle his lap as she pulled him to her. Isaac, to his credit, did not complain. No, his arms wrapped around her eagerly as he worried her lower lip gently between his teeth, the girl moaning into his mouth as she moved against him in a way that sent heat flaring inside them both. 

****

Reluctantly, he broke away from her, chest heaving with heavy breaths as he told her, “We gotta stop – “ 

****

“I’m sorry,” Vanessa let out a breathless laugh before sitting herself down beside him with a sigh, “I got carried away – “ 

****

“No, I just meant that Sarah and Lisa just pulled into the driveway.” 

****

“Oh – “ 

****

“Yeah, no - that was great – I mean – “ 

****

“No, yeah definently. I just didn’t want to – “ 

****

“Yeah, I get it. Completely agree – “ 

****

“Oh, oh okay. Good.” 

****

“Great.” 

****

“Fantastic.” 

****

“Spectacular.” 

****

They nodded at each other like the dorks they were, fixing themselves up before Isaac asked, “We can do that again later, if you want?” 

****

“Yes, please!” 

****

The two teenagers threw their heads back laughing, Vanessa falling onto his shoulder as her own shoulders shook. He pressed a chaste kiss to her hair before moving to get up, holding out a hand to help her off the couch. 

****

She looked up at him with a small smile before letting him know, “You’re an _actual_ gentleman, you know that right?” 

****

“It’s the English, I swear to God. It’s the English.” 

****

“ _I fucking knew it!_ ” she exclaimed, pointing a finger at him with wide eyes, “I fucking knew it was an English accent I kept hearing!” 

****

“Hey!” they heard Sarah shout from downstairs, “Don’t swear, we have a kid in the house!” 

****

Vanessa gasped out, turning away from Isaac to scurry down the steps and over to where the two women gathered with a small bundle in their arms. When she could see past the blankets wrapped around the small body, she stopped short in wonder. He was small, smaller than any baby she had ever seen. His cheeks were cherubic but not too fat, which surprised her because she had never seen a baby without overly fat cheeks. There was already dark hair sprouting from his tiny head and Vanessa fell in love with the little fella right there and then. 

****

“Nathaniel,” she whispered in awe, approaching gingerly as if her tiny footsteps would wake him, “He’s so tiny.” 

****

“He is, isn’t he?” Lisa smiled down at him, rocking him gently against her breast, “That’s okay. It’s the little ones you gotta look out for.” 

****

“Don’t I know it,” Isaac laughed softly from behind Vanessa, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend and leaning his chin on top of her head as he gazed down at the baby in the blonde woman’s arms and smiling, “Cute little thing, he is.” 

****

“Just like his sister,” Vanessa croaked out, the allergies getting to her – she _was not_ crying, there was just heaps of dust in the room, _goddammit_! The girl glanced at her mothers before asking in a quiet, hesitant voice, “Can I – can I hold him?” 

****

“Of course, you can,” Sarah murmured, taking the baby gently from her wife and looking at her daughter with a brow raised in question as she asked, “Do you know how to?” 

****

The girl shook her head, listening to her mother’s instruction as the woman settled the baby against her shoulder, positioning her hands under her brother and on his back as she rested him against her, gasping slightly when her mother took her hands away to let her daughter carry him. The little guy barely weighed a thing and he didn’t startle when he was handed off to someone new. Vanessa patted his back gently, turning to Isaac with wide eyes. 

****

The boy, in turn, stared down at her like he had been shocked, taken off guard at the sight in front of him. Something deep down in his chest – something akin to what he felt when his wolf came to the surface – rumbled in satisfaction at seeing her like that. His girlfriend looked like she was both scared she was going to drop the baby in her arms and like she wanted to hold onto the little tike forever, her mouth gaping open as she headed towards the living room. 

****

Vanessa sat down carefully, cradling the baby in her arms as she whispered softly into his small, red ears, “I’m gonna make you a promise, little one. I’m gonna be the _best_ big sister you’ll ever have. The world’s crazy right now, crazier than you’ll ever know but _make no mistake_ , I **will** protect you from it for as long as I can. There’re bad things out there, things that not even our mothers’ know about yet. But there are good people who will protect us until the time comes when we can learn to protect ourselves. And I _swear_ to you, you will be the most loved, most cherished and the safest little boy in Beacon Hills, Nathaniel, I promise you that.” 

****

A hand landed on her shoulder as Isaac leaned down to place a kiss on her cheek, murmuring quietly in her ear as they gazed down at her brother, “I promise too.”

****


	24. Get Your Tickets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Th gang stalks Jackson and sees something that convinces them that Matt is definently the Master.  
> Allison and Vanessa meet up at the diner to have another heart to heart.  
> Scott, Derek, Vanessa and Isaac meet up at the animal clinic to discuss how to incapacitate a creature that seems to be invincible in either form.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was my least favorite chapter to write so I'm sorry if you guys find it lacking the usual _oomph_ \- I'm working on it :( It is very short so bare with me but I hope you enjoy it. Please tell me what you think in the comments below, and remember that all feedback, criticism and suggestions are welcomed and deeply appreciated x

“Where the _hell_ is he going?” 

It was the next day when school opened up again, everybody meeting up after third period to watch as Jackson headed for the carpark, jumped into his car, and pulled out his phone. Allison was the one who spoke up first, explaining what happened as she was the one who had been sitting next to the boy that period. 

“He got some sort of text in Math and just froze up? Does anyone else think that’s a bit strange?” 

“What happens if it’s the Master?” Stiles suggested, waving his hands at the scene before them, “Think about it, what happens if this is how his change is triggered? Like, he sends a text with a code or something and Jackson isn’t Jackson anymore?” 

“Well Jackson _who’s not Jackson_ is currently pulling out of the carpark, so,” Erica pointed out, already heading down the steps, “If we want to see where he’s going, we should probably catch up.” 

Scott turned to Boyd and Allison to give them instructions, “You two stay here and cover for us if we don’t come back on time.” 

They nodded, the latter a bit more disgruntled at being left behind, before heading off to lunch while Scott, Stiles, Erica, Vanessa, and Isaac made their way to their respective cars. Erica hopped into the back of the silver Ford while Isaac slid into the passenger seat beside Vanessa, the latter starting up the car and following Stiles’ jeep out of the school and onto the road. They tracked Jackson’s Porsche all the way to the warehouse district, where they found it parked outside a warehouse not to far from _Jungle_. 

“Why in the _holy **hell**_ is he _here_?” Vanessa asked out loud, scrunching up her nose at the place. 

“Well, you _did_ say that Matt invited Allison to a rave,” Isaac reminded her as they joined up with where Scott and Stiles were waiting at the entrance to the building, “This must be the place.” 

“I both _love_ and **_hate_** it when I’m right,” the brunette sighed, before they all peered around the door to see Jackson climbing the stairs up into the building. 

“Keep your distance,” Scott advised them, “We don’t know how this works – if he can see or hear us, but we don’t want to accidentally tip him or the Master off.” 

The others nodded before making their way up the stairs slowly, Scott edging around the corner and sighing softly. 

“Ness, I think you’re more right than you know.” 

He made room for her to look, the girl smiling grimly as she caught sight of Matt Daehler having a conversation with the boy they were currently stalking. Vanessa inclined her head towards them, asking, “What’re they saying?” 

Scott frowned, “He’s letting him go ahead of him in line.” 

Stiles’ scoffed in disbelief, “That’s just his cover. He’s totally the one who sent him that message.” 

“Okay, so now that we’ve all confirmed that he’s probably – “ 

“And by probably, you mean _most **definitely**_ ,” Stiles corrected. 

Erica rolled her eyes, before continuing, “Now that we’ve confirmed that Matt’s **definitely** the Master, how do we get an in on this thing?” 

“We pay for tickets obviously,” Stiles snarked back, pushing Scott into the line and nudging him urgingly, “Ask Matt how much the tickets are.” 

The others lined up behind them as Scott inched forward, calling out for the boy up the line. Matt turned to his teammate with a frown, an uncertain smile spreading across his lips when he caught sight of the rest of them behind him. 

“Hey guys,” he waved at them, a look of confusion in his eyes as he took them all in. 

“Hey, um, do you know how much the tickets are?” Scott asked. 

“$75,” Matt told him before turning back to the front. 

Scott exchanged panicked looks with Stiles before calling back out to Matt, “Can I borrow some money?” 

The guy turned around, nodding as he asked, “Yeah, how much?” 

“75?” 

Vanessa shot her friend an incredulous look, unsurprised when Matt frowned at him, shaking his head like there was something wrong with Scott before turning around again. 

Isaac chuckled to himself, earning twin glares from the two boys in front of him, before leaning over and letting them know, “Derek said he would pay for the tickets.” 

“What is he? You’re sugar daddy?” Stiles drawled to the boy, eyes widening at the opening he inevitably gave the short girl beside him as he hurried to shut her up, “ _Don’t even_ – “ 

“What? I thought – “ 

“You thought fucking **_wrong_**. Be silent, Satan spawn, be silent!” 

“Then don’t talk to my boyfriend like that – “ 

“Guys, _shut up_ and look!” Erica growled out, pushing Stiles head forward. 

They all stopped their bickering to watch as Jackson approached the stand where the girl selling the tickets had stopped to stare at the boy warily. They didn’t hear the guy’s usual arrogant tone the whole time, merely communicating by raising his hand to show how many tickets he wanted or to give the girl the money. 

He must have been giving out major murder vibes because the girl abruptly yelled out for the two security guards beside her, “Let’s get out of here!” 

The lift they were in started going up, the girl staring fearfully down at Jackson, who craned his neck to watch them go until they disappeared from sight. Matt groaned in frustration, storming out alongside the rest of the line. Erica shook her head, throwing her hands up as she asked the group, “What’re we gonna do now?” 

Isaac’s eyes were still on the lift the girl disappeared in before announcing, “I think I have a plan but we’re gonna have to wait for a bit.” 

Stiles glanced at his watch before pointing out, “Lunch is almost over. We only have an hour before practice and if we’re not back by than – “ 

“Suicide runs,” the boys all groaned. 

Vanessa raised a brow at them all before reminding them, “Two of you are **werewolves**.” 

“I’m not,” Stiles exclaimed, brown eyes wide in fear, “I’ll _literally **die**_ doing one of those.” 

“Which is why I said only _two_ of you are werewolves!” she drawled, rolling her eyes before waving them off, “You and Scott can go back. Me and Erica will stay with Isaac.” 

The two boys exchanged a look before shrugging, “Sounds good to me.” 

Once they left, along with the last remainders of the crowd, Vanessa and Erica turned to the only boy remaining with their arms crossed, waiting for an explanation. 

“Did you see that girl selling the tickets?” he asked them, jerking his head at the lift, “That was Kara Simmons.” 

“Why does that sound familiar?” Erica wondered out loud, brows furrowed. 

Vanessa realized a second later, eyes shooting up to meet Isaac’s as she questioned, “She was on the Swim Team?” 

He nodded back, explaining, “She used to be one of my brother’s best friends – and happened to be on the Swim Team in '06.” 

“So, when you said you had a plan…..” 

“I was _hoping_ ,” he tilted his head with a small smile, “She would help her best friend’s little brother get tickets to the underground rave she supposedly runs now.” 

The brunette nodded as they turned to the lift with a matching grin, “Sounds like a plan.” 

\- 

Jackson must have done a number on the girl, because they waited _two whole hours_ for her to come out of that lift. Two hours where they were just standing around, doing absolutely **_jack shit_**. Scott had texted Vanessa a while ago to let Isaac know that he would be doing suicide runs for the rest of his life if he didn’t make up for his lost time that afternoon. The boy just shrugged it off before leaning against the wall with his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, waiting patiently for the lift to go down once more. 

_I guess it’s true. Wolves really are patient creatures._

“How long does it take to count the money and go home?!” Erica exclaimed in a whisper, throwing her hands up as she shook her blonde curls out, “ _Can_ they count?” 

_Except for Erica, who it seems didn’t inherit that little trait from her canine counterpart._

Isaac held his hand up, gesturing to his ears before telling his packmate, “ _Listen_. They’re finishing up now.” 

“You’ve been listening to them this whole time?” Vanessa asked in surprise. 

He nodded before straightening up, just as the lift thrummed to life. He gestured for the two girls to go back to the carpark, telling them he’d be there in a second. Vanessa looked as if she was about to protest when Erica grabbed her hand and tugged her down the stairs, muttering about how at least the car had a place for them to sit. 

Isaac turned his attention back to the lift, where the familiar, dark-skinned girl was walking out. Back when he was younger and his brother was still alive, Kara used to come around to their house all the time. Her and Camden were best friends, had been since kindergarten, and therefore, he had practically grown up with girl. Albeit, he hadn’t seen her since Camden’s funeral, but she hadn’t changed a bit. 

Kara jerked to a stop when she saw him standing there, eyes widening in shock before reality set in and she gripped her chest with a breathless laugh, “ _Isaac_? Is that you?” 

“Long time no sleep, K,” he grinned at her, opening his arms wide as she came over to give him a hug. 

“Jesus, kid, last time I saw you, you were shorter than me!” 

“Last time I saw you, you were going off to live on the other side of the country. What’re you still doing here?” 

“ _Eh_ ,” she waved it off, rolling her eyes, “That plan was a bust. But I got a job. Not as glamorous as I hoped but it pays the rent so.....” 

“I can see that” Isaac nodded, tilting his head to the side as he drawled, “Which was why I was hoping you could do me a favor?” 

“ _Wow!_ ” the girl shook her head, smirking at him, “You’ve _literally_ seen me for five minutes and you already want something from me!” 

“It’s not like that,” he insisted, cut off by her knowing look before sighing sheepishly, “Yeah, okay, it’s kind of like that.” 

She swatted him playfully, softening slightly as she told him, “I’m just messin’ with you. How many do you need?” 

“Five?” 

“I only have three on me.” 

“Three will have to do then,” he shrugged. 

After going with her to pay for the tickets, Kara walked him out to the front where he went to make his way over to the Silver Ford when she stopped him. 

“Hey,” Kara murmured, uncharacteristically serious as she said, “I’m sorry I haven’t checked up on you over the past few years. I heard about your dad. I’m really sorry.” 

Isaac swallowed, caught off guard by her sincerity, stammered out, “It’s okay. Didn’t expect you to.” 

“Camden was my best friend. I should have looked out for you more.” 

He smiled at her, words getting caught in his throat as he nodded at her before continuing on towards where Vanessa and Erica waited. Climbing into the car, he turned to the two girls who were sitting up, eagerly waiting to hear how it went. He decided to have a bit of fun first, clenching his jaw as if it did not go the way they had hoped before pulling out three tickets from his pocket. Isaac grinned cheekily as they sighed in relief, Vanessa snatching them from his hand with a grin. 

“I only managed to get three so Scott and Stiles will have to find some elsewhere,” he explained, sharing a mischievous grin with Erica from the back seat. Vanessa didn’t seem to mind, leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek. 

“Good job babe!” 

The boy beamed like he won the lottery all the way back to school, much to Erica’s amusement. When they hopped out of the car, Erica headed up the stairs, calling over her shoulder that she would go catch Boyd up on what they learnt. The bell rang out that school was finished, Vanessa turning to Isaac with soft, regretful eyes as she apologized. 

“I feel bad that you have to do suicide runs all afternoon.” 

Isaac wrapped his arms around her waist as he leaned back against her car, pulling her against him as he grinned. 

“I don’t see why you should feel bad. It’s not _your_ fault that Matt likes to bring his pet lizard to all his dates.” 

Vanessa grinned, playfully swatting at his chest, “I’m _serious_. You shouldn’t have to miss school to go on wacko missions to warehouses -” 

“Neither should you,” he pointed out, bringing up her hands to brush a kiss to her knuckles, never breaking eye contact from her. 

Isaac grinned at the hitch in her breathe, so miniscule that he doubted that the girl herself would’ve noticed. She shook her head at him before pressing a kiss to his lips, reminding him softly when she pulled back, “Don’t forget that we have to meet at the clinic later.” 

“I thought that was only for Derek and Scott?” 

“Would you really pass a chance to piss off Scott?” 

“You make a good point, love,” he nodded at her before kissing her again, long and hard, leaving her breathless. 

She watched in fixation as he slid out from under her, straightening his shirt as he reached into the backseat of her car for his bag before turning back towards her once more with a grin, “I’ll see you later?” 

“See you,” she whispered back in a daze, smiling dreamily when his laughter floated back to her. 

_God, he was just too beautiful. Too fucking precious._

Vanessa stopped to watch him walk across the car park to the lacrosse field beyond, taking a moment to marvel him. How the fuck did she live so long without these feelings he gave her? That she _survived_ without the sound of his laughter or the shine of his smile? It made her question a lot about _how on earth_ he managed to escape her notice through the entirety of their Junior High and their freshmen year. Maybe it was luck that she didn’t burden him with the her of back then. The her of back then was a fucking **_bitch_**. 

_I wonder, though, if I’m really as different as I make myself out to be._

That thought followed her all the way back home as she waited out the afternoon until it was time to meet the others at the clinic. 

\- 

Or that would have been the plan, if she didn’t get a text from Allison an hour into doing her homework – because she wasn’t repeating sophomore year just because some jerkoff was in the mood for murder. Vanessa glanced at the clock on her bedside table, frowning when she saw it was just after four. 

**ALLISON: _Meet me at the diner. Need to talk._**

Whatever it was that the girl had to tell her, it sounded urgent enough that it created a great stone like feeling that settled at the bottom of her stomach the entire drive to town, only worsening in it’s dread when she parked at the front of the place lit up in neon lights. Wrapping her coat around her shoulders, she walked into the place and was surprised to find it empty – except for the dark haired girl in the back corner, nursing a mug in her hands as she stared out the window at the traffic on main street. 

“Allie,” Vanessa called to her softly, gaining the girl’s attention as she made her way over to her, sliding into the booth with a frown, “Hey, what’s up? Everything okay?” 

“I’m sorry, I just – I just needed someone to talk to – “ 

“Hey,” the brunette interrupted, settling a reassuring hand on her friend’s wrist as she said, “Whatever it is, you can tell me. Lemme just get myself a drink and you explain what happened okay?” 

The girl nodded, smiling uneasily as Vanessa went to the counter to order herself a hot chocolate before settling back down in her seat, waving for her friend to continue. She took a deep breathe. 

"My father took me to the morgue," Allison began, voice wavering slightly as she told her, "Showed me the bodies of the couple that were killed recently. He told me the wife, Jessica, she didn’t die from the pregnancy." 

"What?" 

_Nathaniel's mother didn’t die from the pregnancy? Did Lisa know?_

"My father told me that someone suffocated her. Do you know what that means?" 

Vanessa gaped, breathing harshly as she sat back in the booth, "Matt isn't just _making_ Jackson kill for him. He's willing to kill them off **_himself_**." 

The dark-haired girl across from her nodded grimly, fingers tightening around the mug in her hand, "And now my dad and the rest of the family know. They won't hesitate, not like us. If they see Matt or Jackson, they will take him out." 

Vanessa narrowed her eyes on her friend, asking quietly "How do they know that Jackson's the kanima?" 

Allison didn’t answer the question, instead quoting underneath her breathe, " _The price of greatness is responsibility_." 

"Winston Churchill," Vanessa nodded, smiling faintly, "It seems like quoting modern miliarial figures is a genetic thing." 

Allison was not amused as she stared down at her coffee, lashes fluttering as she continued, "He told me that our family had a responsibility, as people who know the truth about the world, to protect those that didn’t. He told me that we were responsible for every person who didn’t have the power to defend themselves." 

Her friend's voice grew increasingly distraught as she glanced up at Vanessa, "He **told** me that _I_ was _responsible_ for their deaths. That what I knew, made me responsible for _every_ death they couldn’t stop." 

"He guilt tripped you into telling him about Jackson, didn’t he?" 

Allison shook her head, tears trailing down her cheek as she insisted, "He didn’t have to. It's _my_ fault. There's a baby out there that doesn’t have parents because I kept _secrets_ , Nessa!" 

"No," the other girl shook her head firmly, reaching across the table to grab her friend's hand, "That isn't on you. That's on Matt. _He_ is the killer and we all have been trying to stop him. That is not your burden to bear. And that baby? He has a family that will make sure he will grow up safe, happy and loved." 

"How do you know?" 

Vanessa smiled softly at the girl before telling her, "Lisa and Sarah signed the adoption papers on Monday night. His name's Nathaniel O'Connor and he is going to be fine. Because there are people like _you_ who are willing to burden themselves in order to protect him and others like him." 

Allison rushed around the table to hug her, whispering in her ear, "Congratulations." 

"Please don't blame yourself. Don’t hurt yourself like that. His parents' deaths aren't on you but they _are_ on the psychotic bastard who killed them. So, we need to pull ourselves together in order to prevent Matt from doing the same to anyone else." 

She pulled back to look Allison in the eyes as the girl shook her head, glassy brown eyes hardening like her metallic namesake. 

"You're right. What's the plan?" 

"The plan is to take Jackson out of the equation. Without his puppet, Matt can be confronted." 

"We tried that," Allison pointed out with a heavy sigh, "I don’t see how this will be any better." 

"Derek and Scott went to Deaton last night," Vanessa explained, "We wanted to see if there was anything strong enough to knock out a kanima. Ketamine is a tranquilizer that should be able to knock out a volatile werewolf, therefore, it should have no problem knocking out Jackson." 

"And this is going down at that rave tomorrow night?" 

"Yes, which is why it's important for you to keep Matt's focus. Observe him to see how the bond between the kanima and it's master works. If he can hear or see the things Jackson can. If he needs to do something to trigger the change within Jackson or something like that. I know Scott already went over it with you, but I need to make sure - are you _truly_ prepared to do this?" 

The dark-haired girl was silent as she pondered everything before she rose her dark eyes up to level on the brunette next to her with a fierceness that made Vanessa's heart warm in pride. 

"I'll do it. He won't get away with another death, not if I have anything to say about it." 

\- 

After they finished their drinks, they agreed to meet the day after at the bleachers to go over the plan. They wanted to pick apart every detail to make sure there wouldn’t be any mistakes – so what happened with Nathaniel’s parents wouldn’t happen to anyone else. 

_I’m sixteen years old and I already feel like I’ve seen more death and pain than a cemetery._

The two girls hugged before going their separate ways, Allison heading home while Vanessa headed to the animal clinic. Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel as she remembered how upset her friend was when she told her how her father put the responsibility – _the burden_ – of that couple’s deaths on her shoulders alone. She didn’t know what Argent was thinking, if this was a lesson of tough love that he was trying to instigate or if he was simply being pressured by Gerard, but it didn’t excuse him _guilt tripping_ his daughter to give up the knowledge she had. 

It made her angry beyond words, so angry that when she parked her car in front of the clinic, she ignored Scott when he asked why she was there so early and charged into the room where Deaton was handling the assortment of jars and bottles on the shelves. The older man turned to her with his brows furrowed in surprise, putting back the bottles in favor of asking her, “Miss O’Connor, I didn’t expect you to be coming around this evening.” 

“Give it to me straight, Doc,” she interrupted him, not in the mood for pleasantries, “You know a shit ton about all this supernatural stuff but you never explained your role in it.” 

He smiled hesitantly, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest, “My role is to simply help people like your friends.” 

“But how is it that you came by your knowledge?” 

“Why do you want to know?” 

“ _Why do you think_!?” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up as she began to pace back and forth, “I’m _literally_ useless compared to the rest of them! I don’t have strength, speed or healing. I can’t run into the fray without having a breakdown! I _thought_ I’d be able to help by being smart but it’s kind of difficult when you have no clue what is going on half the time!” 

“Vanessa,” the man said gently, “What is it that you want to know?” 

The brunette looked at him with fierce eyes as she grounded out, “I want to know _everything_ you know.” 

He opened his mouth as if to reply when Scott’s voice called out from the front, “They’re here.” 

Derek's Camaro parked itself outside the clinic, the Alpha himself climbing out alongside his Beta. Scott held the door open for them, eyes narrowed suspiciously on the taller of the two as he asked, "Why is _he_ here?" 

"I need him," was all Derek said as he made his way inside. 

"Also, he's my ride home," Isaac explained with a shrug, grinning when Vanessa made her way over from the back room to him. 

"Glad you guys can make it," she smiled wanly, enveloping her boyfriend into a hug, "How was the suicide runs?" 

"Piece of cake," he murmured back, leaning down to place a chaste kiss on her lips as Scott scoffed from behind them. 

"I don’t _trust_ him," the other boy grounded out, eyes trailing Isaac as he slung an arm around Vanessa's shoulders and followed her deeper into the clinic. 

"Yeah, well, _he_ doesn’t trust you either," her boyfriend snarked. 

Derek turned to all of them in exasperation, "And _Derek_ really doesn’t care. Now, where's the Vet? Is he gonna help us or not?" 

"That depends," Deaton's voice called out from behind them, the man leaning against the entryway with a brow raised, "Your friend Jackson, are we planning to kill him or save him." 

"Save him." 

"Kill him." 

Vanessa shot Derek a tired look at his reflex answer. Scott turned to the Alpha with his mouth open in outrage as he corrected him, " _Save him_." 

The boy turned back to the vet, nodding in confirmation, "Save him." 

Both Isaac and Vanessa muffled grins at the exchange, Derek rolling his eyes at them both before turning back to the vet expectantly. 

Deaton looked the Alpha over warily before inclining his head for the others to follow him inside. Derek went first, then Scott with Vanessa and Isaac bringing up the rear. 

Vanessa slipped her hand into her boyfriends, pulling him along while he smiled at her back in adoration as she stopped next to Derek. Isaac's eyes ran over the contents in front of them, a set of jars that Deaton had placed on the table with strange symbols on the lids. The boy's hand went out to touch one when Derek's snapped out his own hand to grab him before he made contact. 

" _ **Watch what you touch**_ ," the Alpha warned before letting go of his Beta to lean against the table. 

Vanessa whispered into her boyfriend's ear, "You were just gonna touch something that could quiet possibly _kill_ you?" 

"We don’t know that!" 

"We would've found out if I didn’t grab you," Derek murmured to the boy, an edge to his voice as he muttered, "Mountain Ash." 

Isaac rolled his eyes before crouching down, leaning forward to gaze up at the vet with curiously amused eyes, "So, what are you? Some kind of witch?" 

Deaton shot the boy a confused look before replying, "No, I'm a veterinarian." 

Vanessa threw her head back laughing, pulling Isaac back as she told him, "Let the man do his thing, handsome." 

"I just wanted to know how he knew all this stuff. I thought people weren't supposed to know about us." 

"Derek told me once there were people who knew about the supernatural world. People not like the hunters but not like you guys either. He didn’t think Deaton was one of them but I guess he was wrong." 

" ** _Quiet_** , both of you," Derek grunted, waiting for the teenagers to shut up before turning back to the vet as the man put the bottles down and sighed. 

"Unfortunately, I don’t see anything here that’s going to be an effective defense against a paralytic toxin." 

"We're open to suggestions," the Alpha said lowly. 

"What about an effective _offense_?" Isaac suggested, eyes glinting at the idea. 

"We already tried," Derek reasoned to his Beta before turning to the vet, "I nearly took it's head off. Argent emptied an _entire_ clip into it. The thing just get's back up." 

Deaton looked deeply disturbed at hearing this, asking warily, "Has it shown any weaknesses?" 

"Well, one - it's can't swim." 

"But Jackson's the Captain of the Swim Team?" Vanessa pointed out with her brows furrowed. 

"Essentially, you're trying to catch two people," Deaton looked around the group, who nodded in agreement at his assessment before turning around to grab something from the drawers behind him. Isaac perked up in interest, straightening so he stood tall with his arms crossed over his chest. From beside him, Vanessa and Scott leaned forward as Deaton showed them a piece of silver that depicted a man in the padmasana position. 

"A puppet and a puppeteer." 

_A servant and a master._

"One killed the husband but the other had to take care of the wife," Deaton told them, eyes glancing up as he asked, "Do we know why?" 

"For some reason, Jackson couldn’t kill her," Vanessa wondered out loud, brows furrowed in thought before Scott spoke up. 

"Jackson's mother died preganant too, she might've even been murdered. I think...I think, he couldn’t let the same thing happen to someone else." 

Isaac shook his head as he asked, "How do you know it's not part of the rules?" 

He glanced around him when he was met with silence before elaborating, "The kanima kills _murderers_. If Jackson kills the wife, than the baby dies too." 

Vanessa nodded in agreement, pointing at Isaac as she turned to Derek, "That actually makes sense." 

"Does that mean your father was a murderer?" Scott asked the boy next to him. 

Derek and Vanessa stiffened at the question, both ready to turn around and tell Scott to back off when Isaac shrugged, lips curling up sardonically as he murmured back, "It wouldn’t surprise me if he was." 

The brunette leaned against him, hands sliding down to intertwine with his as she pressed a kiss against his shoulder. Isaac smiled down softly at the comfort she tried to give him, pressing a kiss on the top of her head. Vanessa's eyes flickered to Scott, who was watching them with an inscrutable look on his face before he faced forward. The girl frowned but decided that she could ask her friend about it later, following his lead as they all face Deaton, who held his hand up as a sudden thought came to him. 

"Hold on, the book says they’re bonded, right?" 

Derek nodded, waiting for the man to continue. 

"What if the fear of water isn't coming from Jackson, but the person controlling him? What if, something that affects the kanima, can also affects it's master?" 

When Deaton pulled back, they saw that he had made a ring of black powder with the metallic insigna in the middle. 

"Meaning _what_?" Isaac asked in confusion. 

" _Meaning_ ," Scott began as he caught onto what Deaton was implying, "We can catch them. _Both_ of them."


	25. All In The Name Of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "...….My whole life is a fucking joke if it comes to this!”
> 
> It was quiet for a moment as Vanessa tried to find the right words to respond to such a volatile statement, settling on being straightforward to the girl who didn’t seem in the mood to take any more bullshit today. She sat back on her arms, tipping her chin up to the bright blue sky above as she drawled out lazily.
> 
> “Well, I think I just saw the punchline. Your mom knows.”
> 
> Allison’s head whipped towards the other girl in shock as she breathed out in a wavering voice, “ _What_?”
> 
> “Your mom knows about you and Scott. She saw you two making out in the labs the exact moment me and Isaac did. If your life’s a joke, then that’s your punchline.”
> 
> Vanessa waited for her friend to start freaking out, to start yelling and crying.
> 
> Instead of doing what was expected of her, Allison, for what seemed like the first time in a while, did something so unexpected that it left Vanessa reeling back in shock.
> 
> Allison Argent started _laughing_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Hope everybody enjoys this chapter x please let me know what you think in the comments. A reminder that all feedback, suggestions and criticism is welcome and deeply appreciated.   
> \- I also want to take the time to spread love and safe wishes. Happy Pride month to my allies and fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community and a welcome to you all on my tumblr @fuckitup_in_style which is a safe place for anyone wanting to talk, rant or spread positivity or awareness.   
> \- For my fellow activists and the black community especially, Be safe. Be aware. And, most importantly, don't let them silence you. My prayers go with you all in these chaotic times and I want you to know your message is being heard all around the world. You guys are changing history, you really are. Never let your voices be silenced. If any of you find yourselves on the front lines at riots and protests, please bring the necessities with you. Look out and protect others if you can. Remember water not milk. And just good luck. Our hearts in Australia go out to you all. We are with you.

It was Thursday morning when Vanessa, Isaac, Boyd and Erica were waiting on the steps at the front of the school, eyes peeled for four different people. Boyd, who had taken up scouting and serving as a sentinel of sorts for the pack, was on the lookout for Gerard – as he hadn’t been seen or heard by the supernatural beings since they first hopped out of Vanessa’s Ford an hour earlier. Erica and Isaac had their eyes peeled for a blue jeep – the driver and it’s passenger crucial for their plans. Stiles and Scott had yet to score tickets for the rave and if they weren’t there, it would weaken their numbers significantly. The two werewolves were munching on their breakfast – curtesy of the diner downtown who had developed a soft spot for the brunette and her friends – while the said brunette was craning her head, looking for Allison Argent. 

After what was revealed by the dark haired girl the night before, Vanessa was concerned – not only by the pressure her friend was cracking under but also how her family seemed to be growing more agitated by the lack of action that was being taken with the threat to the town. Action that would soon be delivered, if Argent’s tough love bonding moment with his daughter was anything to go by. And if the hunters were to act, that could mean they might try to interfere with their plans. 

After bidding goodbye to Derek, Scott and Isaac – the latter receiving a _very_ special goodbye that had the Alpha and her best friend groaning in disgust – she had returned home and sent Allison a text to meet up at lunch to go over their Psychology homework. Discreetly, she might add, as to not arouse suspicion with her paranoid parents who probed the girl’s privacy by demanding access to every record connected to Allison’s phone and laptop. You see, Vanessa was mindful of the fact that Gerard not only had access to the number of cameras he installed around the school, but also to their school records. 

If he cracked open hers for a bit of light reading – _doubtful_ , considering the folder itself was larger than Scott and Stiles due to her **_colourful_** adolence – old man Argent would notice how she was barely passing her Psychology class while his granddaughter, under the expectation of being naturally exceptional in everything life threw at her, passed it with flying colours. So he would have no reason to suspect that they were doing anything but studying – as normal highschool teenagers do. 

But they were not normal high school teenagers and he knew that. Which was why Vanessa – being the kind-hearted individual she was raised to be – didn’t mind being seen in the newly restored library for any camera to see and observe. Erica has checked it out that very morning, confirming there was indeed the static for bugs in the room. Lucky for everybody that knew her, she was very good with her tongue. 

_As Isaac had learnt repeatedly throughout their relationship._

The said boy nudged her slightly to point out Roscoe parking itself next to the bike racks, not too far from where the group sat. Though that was not the interesting part. It was who was at the bike racks, chaining up his bike like any normal _non_ -serial killer kid would do, that perked her interest. 

Vanessa straightened her back and narrowed her eyes as Scott and Stiles hopped out of the jeep, seemingly deep in conversation with each other when Matt Daehler approached them with an easy going smile despite his brows furrowed in puzzlement. 

Vanessa nudged her boyfriend back, leaning over to ask, “What’re they saying?” 

“Matt just asked them why nobody’s been suspended for what happened on Monday in the library.” 

“What did Stiles just say?” 

“That nobody got hurt.” 

Erica growled out in indignation as she muttered, “Um, did he forget how he _literally_ had to carry me out of the library? God, my neck still tingles when it get’s cold at night.” 

“I think he would argue that with Derek’s little ‘what makes you breaks you’ exercise and your werewolf healing, you _technically_ didn’t get _hurt_ **hurt** ,” Vanessa reasoned sarcastically, glancing over her shoulder to raise an eyebrow at the blonde girl. 

“Well, with that reasoning, what I did to his jeep wasn’t actually _breaking_ **breaking** it – what with it getting fixed and all.” 

“Nuh uh, sweetheart. That jeep is Stiles’ baby. It’s like ripping out his child’s heart and blundering him to death with it.” 

“Technically speaking,” Isaac interjected with a slight curl of his lips, “A baby’s heart would be very miniscule in both weight and size so unless Stiles’ was a _little bitch_ , it shouldn’t be able to effectively bludger him to death.” 

Before Vanessa could chew her boyfriend out about insinuating her best friend was a bitch, Erica butted in, “Hey! I’m pretty confident that I have the skill to bludger _anyone_ to death with a baby’s heart!” 

Boyd rolled his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh as he told her, “Erica, you’re not _supposed_ to be pretty confident about bludgering anyone to death with a baby’s heart.” 

“Can we stop talking about bludgering people to death with a baby’s heart, please?” 

“You’re the one that started it, Nessa!” 

“And now I’m finishing it,” she resolved, shaking her head at them ‘duh’ before turning her attention back to Scott and Stiles, who were walking towards them with the latter immediately groaning at the sight of them all gathered and waiting. 

“Don’t you people have _better_ things to do than wait at our beck and call?” he shot at them, all three werewolves grinning sharply at his insinuation that they were at anyone’s beck and call other than their Alpha’s. Vanessa, on the other hand, did not take it as calmly as the rest of them and shot up in outrage. 

“ _Ex-cu-se_ me?!” she shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at the boy, “I have never once - _in my fucking life_ – been at your ‘beck and call’. Take it back. Right. Fucking. **Now**.” 

“Oh my God,” Stiles gaped at her, scrambling back to hide behind Scott as he whispered in his best friend’s ear, “Has she had coffee yet? The screaming usually doesn’t start until at least ten!” 

Scott, ever the mediator between the two of them, removed Stiles’ hands from where they clutched his shoulder and softened his brows slightly as he turned to them asking, “Why are you guys here?” 

“Because we go to school here?” Isaac drawled sarcastically with an eyebrow raised. 

“He _meant_ ,” Stiles stepped forward, edging around the girl shooting daggers from her eyes, “What are you all doing gathered here? At the steps. When the bell –“ 

The bell for homeroom rang out on cue, the boy with the buzz cut pointing at the sound victoriously, “ _Just_ rang.” 

“We wanted to know what you’re plan was to get tickets,” Erica answered helpfully, stretching her arms up and over her head as she got to her feet beside Vanessa, “You guys need to be able to get into the building if you want to be any sort of help to Derek tomorrow night.” 

“Don’t you mean any sort of help to _us_?” Stiles corrected with a scoff as he gestured between them, “We are the ones who let you in on the plan.” 

Vanessa was the one to scoff this time as she laid a hand on her chest in self-satisfaction “ _I’m_ the one who **made** the fucking plan and contributed _at least_ ninety percent of the information so I’m technically letting _you_ all in on the plan. So be fucking nice or I’ll bench you all.” 

“But you can’t bench all your star players, Nessie!” Stiles pointed out with a triumphant grin. 

“He’s got a point,” Erica cocked her head at the boy with a sly smile as she fluttered her eyelashes at her best friend charmingly, “You wouldn’t bench _me_ , would you Nessie?” 

The brunette stammered, blushing hot red before fixing the blonde with an angry look as she shook her head, “No fucking way are you using that shit on me! Not on me! What happened to the sister code?” 

Erica shrugged her shoulders like she thought it was worth a shot, Vanessa shaking her head in disapproval as she pointed to the previously arguing teenagers and told them, “If you keep bickering between each other, I’ll bench the both of you. And don’t give that star player crap, I have three of them who know when to shut their mouths and listen.” 

“Not that this isn’t entertaining, but homeroom just started so we should probably go,” Boyd interrupted before Erica or Stiles’ could protest the brunette’s threat. 

Vanessa nodded at the boy before leading them all inside, her, Erica and Isaac going one way while Scott, Stiles and Boyd went the other. Before they headed into the classroom where the teacher from hell laid waiting, the blonde girl sidled up to her friend with a sly smirk before prompting her with a playful nudge, “You can tell me now, Ness. You wouldn’t actually bench me, would you?” 

Rolling her eyes despite her own little smile curling up on her lips, Vanessa snorted before muttering, “What do you think?” 

\- 

She couldn’t believe what she hearing. It was _literally_ not even midday yet and he was already doing this shit to her. It was _un-fucking-believable_. She thought they had an understanding, a sort of peace that had been settled between them, but it looks like she wrong. Glaring up at the taller boy with fury sparkling from her eyes, she grounded out through gritted teeth, “You did _what_?” 

“They needed tickets. Two guys on the team had tickets. I pushed them around a little. They gave me the tickets. I gave the tickets to Scott and Stiles. Now, we all have tickets.” 

“You beat up two guys on your lacrosse team?” Vanessa repeated incredulously, a hair’s breathe above a whisper. 

Isaac shrugged nochantly despite the twinkle of amusement in those blue eyes of his as they stared down at her, “Only a little.” 

The short brunette let out a sigh that was the love child between a ragged breath and a scream of frustration as she spat out, “ _You little shit_.” 

Well, that was before she tugged him forward and claimed his lips for her own. Her back slammed into the lockers behind her, his hands grasping her hips with a ferocity that sent shivers up her spine and elicited a surprised gasp from her mouth in between breaths until he was on her again. They almost forgot they were making out in the middle of the school corridor when Isaac felt someone tap on his shoulder, the boy pulling away from the girl with a growl as he fixed his attention on Coach. 

The man snatched his hand back as if he was afraid he was going to get it bitten off, the look of pure disgust not shuttering as he sneered at them both, “You’re in a school full of _children_. What is **_wrong_** with you people?” 

Vanessa peered around her tall boyfriend with a look of righteous fury in her eyes despite the teeth she bared in smile at her teacher before gritting out politely, “Hey, Coach! How’re you doing today?” 

Realizing who he was staring at, the man gaped, mind flashing back to the sounds that boy Justin made when this creature destroyed his ability to make children forever and almost vomited at the mere _memory_ of it. The sound that had escaped that boy’s throat was _ungodly_ , inhumane in it’s form and pitch. Coach immediately started backing away with a look of horror, waving his hands at the two frowning teenagers as he breathed out, “Carry on.” 

The couple watched in confusion as he stumbled away from them and down the hall, shrugging to each other before they went back to their fierce kisses and frantic groping – since they had five minutes before the corridors would be crawling with students and teachers who didn’t have the same mercy – _or fear_ – as Coach. 

When the bell rang, the two pulled away gasping, Vanessa letting out breathless a giggle as she pulled him against her and buried her face into his chest. Isaac pressed a featherlight kiss to her forehead, laughing quietly alongside her as students passed them by with arched brows and whispers. 

“You’re not _actually_ mad at me for beating up those two guys right?” he asked, leaning back to look at her face. 

Vanessa narrowed her eyes at him before telling him very carefully, “I’m not _mad_ , just worried. I told you that you need to be careful about pulling stunts like that – _especially_ around school. Gerard needs _one_ reason to get you alone and when he does, he could kill you and make it look like a bloody accident!” 

“I know,” he whispered, hands running through her soft brown curls in an attempt to sooth her as he repeated, “I know. I just thought that I would help your friends out, that’s all.” 

“And I _love_ – “ both of their eyes widened at the word before she cleared her throat, “I love that you thought to do that for them, but if it comes to my friends missing out on a rave and you getting killed by our sadistic principal, I'd rather my friends go without. You hear me?” 

“Loud and clear,” Isaac murmured before leaning down to kiss her softly, reassurance pressed against taunt lips that yielded to his silent comfort. 

Vanessa’s fingers trailed up the nape of his neck to grip dark blonde curls as she kissed him back, worrying his bottom lip gently between her teeth as he pressed her against the locker once more before the click clacking of heels caught their attention. 

They jerked away from each other, spinning around to watch as Victoria Argent strutted down the hall with a viciousness that made the two teenagers flinch. But something caught the woman’s eye before she could see the couple, causing her to stop in her traps, pale blue eyes burning holes through the window of the door leading to the science lab. Isaac led the short brunette silently down the lockers to the other door, trying to steal a glimpse at what earned Victoria’s fury. 

And if Vanessa saw what she saw under normal circumstances, she would whip out her phone and take a video to tease her two friends about it later but because the mother of one of those two friends – the mother who was apart of an organization that sought the death of the _other_ of her two friends - was watching, she thought – _maybe not?_ Maybe it wouldn’t be appropriate to film what may be the last moment of happiness Allison and Scott might find with each other before Allison’s mother stormed the classroom and _ripped Scott’s balls off_ and cast them into the _flames_ she would summon from her sire, **_the Devil_**. 

Vanessa and Isaac waited for the woman to charge into the labs and force away the couple whose tongue were _clearly_ down each other’s throats but were shocked when she just stood there, frozen except for the fire that burned in those cold eyes of hers. If unadulterated hatred had a physical form, it would be the eyes of Victoria Argent as she stared at her daughter making out with her werewolf boyfriend – the same werewolf boyfriend she had seemingly lied about breaking up with. 

_God, those two won’t stop kissing! Was this the same feeling of dread Coach felt when he caught me and Isaac before?_

Finally, after several, _very **long**_ minutes, Allison, and Scott pulled away, but only slightly. Vanessa watched the bittersweet moment as the dark-haired girl rested her forehead against the boy she was in love with before they pulled away. All the while, Victoria didn’t move. Her eyes were freakishly wide the whole fucking time and it disturbed Vanessa deeply that she didn’t blink throughout her backward-voyeurism. When Allison pushed open the door to the labs and gingerly made her way into the hall, Vanessa knew that she had to warn the girl. And Isaac knew that it meant he had to warn the boy who came out seconds after her. 

“I’ll take Allison.” 

“I’ll take Scott.” 

With a parting kiss echoed by reluctant sighs, the couple went in the opposite directions of one another as they chased down the two teenagers who were in very, _very_ _**deep shit**_. 

\- 

#### VANESSA AND ALLISON

“Allie!” she called out to the retreating girl who was rushing towards the entrance to the roof, “Wait up!” 

Allison didn’t seem to hear anything, head down and shoulders tight as she disappeared behind the door. Vanessa panted, having jogged around corners and the like to catch up with her friend who seemed determined to get away from everybody and everything as fast as possible. 

The brunette stopped at the door, head whipping around to see if anybody would notice where she was going before jerking it open and sprinting up the steps. When she finally made it to the roof, stumbling out into the warm air of spring, she saw the dark haired girl leaning against the ledge, head buried under her arms and her knees pulled up to her chest, her sniffles drifting back to the newcomer who frowned in concern. 

“Hey, sweetie,” she called out softly, only getting a brief glance before Allison turned to brush her tears away brusquely, “What’s wrong?” 

Vanessa couldn’t help the déjà vu that hit her. This was, _what_? The **_third_** time she had found her friend up here, tears in her eyes and hurt in her cheeks. Couldn’t her friend catch a break? It almost made her want to ship the girl off as far away from Beacon Hills as possible, from this life that she was seemingly cursed with. The burden on Allison’s shoulders were visible from the door, Vanessa creeping closer to see the girl’s resolve starting to crack. 

Or so she thought. 

Allison threw her hands up suddenly, teeth snarling as she shouted, “ ** _Everything is fucking wrong!_** ” 

The brunette flinched back at the outburst, recovering quickly and continuing on over to her friend. It seemed that Allison was as sick with crying and softness as she was. She couldn’t help but see her reflection in the girl, baring her teeth with red eyes and exhaustion heavy on her shoulders. This life – these past couple of months – were eating away at the softness and girlhood they clung to so desperately. 

_Maybe that tells us more than we want to hear._

Vanessa set herself down in front of Allison, brows set in a line as she vanished all softness from her bones as she asked, “What is wrong _right now_?” 

“ _Where to begin?_ ” her friend breathed out sarcastically, a sardonic laugh escaping her pink lips as she began in a deathly quiet voice, “You want to know what happened, Vanessa? Scott just suggested we should start _seeing **other** people_. To put on a **_show_** for my mother so she doesn’t suspect us of seeing each other! What a fucking joke! Everything is a fucking joke and it seems like _I’m_ the only one who doesn’t get it!” 

The dark haired girl shook her head as she scoffed, pulling at her dark tresses with a ferocity that would have concerned Vanessa if she didn’t do the _exact_ same thing from time to time, “I told him that Matt asked me out, you know? And he said I should do it. He even suggested I _kiss_ him! My **boyfriend** _encouraged_ me to **kiss another boy and to make a big deal out of it. For what? So my mother doesn’t _kill him_? My whole life is a fucking joke if it comes to this!” **

****

It was quiet for a moment as Vanessa tried to find the right words to respond to such a volatile statement, settling on being straightforward to the girl who didn’t seem in the mood to take any more bullshit today. She sat back on her arms, tipping her chin up to the bright blue sky above as she drawled out lazily. 

****

“Well, I think I just saw the punchline. Your mom knows.” 

****

Allison’s head whipped towards the other girl in shock as she breathed out in a wavering voice, “ _What_?” 

****

“Your mom knows about you and Scott. She saw you two making out in the labs the exact moment me and Isaac did. If your life’s a joke, then that’s your punchline.” 

****

Vanessa waited for her friend to start freaking out, to start yelling and crying and to get up in her face as to why she was speaking so callously about something that **_literally_** could mean the difference between Scott’s life and death – for Allison’s parents weren’t like normal parents, no, because they were werewolf hunters who didn’t seem to mind killing whoever or whatever they wanted to serve their purpose. Instead of doing what was expected of her, Allison, for what seemed like the first time in a while, did something so unexpected that it left Vanessa reeling back in shock. 

****

Allison Argent started _laughing_. 

****

\- 

****

#### ISAAC AND SCOTT

****

****

After splitting up, Isaac tracked Scott all the way to the lacrosse fields where the boy had swept out his books and was already deep in studying. Besides the fight with Jackson on Monday, Isaac had noticed that Scott seemed determined to turn his attention to his studies. _Why on earth he would pick a time like this_ – when they were surrounded by enemies on all sides – he did not know, but he didn’t have the time to think about it as he strolled around the bleachers towards the boy. 

****

If it was anyone else, he wouldn’t have cared less about the consequences of having the mother of someone’s girlfriend know about their secret relationship. Hell, he’d _relish_ in the drama – only fair after the entertainment his home life and status as an ex-fugitive served to the majority of the school’s population. But this was _Scott and Allison_ , and beside the importance they had to Vanessa, it also served to be a problem for their pack. 

****

Allison’s mother finding out about the relationship could easily lead to a provocation of earlier action. At least, earlier action of an attack Derek and Vanessa had long suspected of occurring. Isaac was surprised the hunters hadn’t attacked them yet, attacked _him_ since they knew his identity and all. He was kind of disappointed, in the sick way someone was disappointed when someone you knew had it out for you hadn’t made a move against you yet. It was the kind of disappointment where you were left tense and on your guard. In other words, it was _stressful_. 

****

Vanessa had managed to comfort him, in that special way only his girlfriend managed to do. She was a special girl after all, his Vanessa. She could bring you to your knees with a tear in her eye, spit out insults with a passion she used to later lay hot, gut-wrenching kisses on you – all the while equally as capable of being the soft, vulnerable little creature he saw in the early hours of the morning or in the darkest moments of their lives. 

****

Her lips still echoed on his own, and it annoyed him beyond reason that he was stuck chasing down her idiot of a best friend instead of enjoying the sensation of her kiss once more. 

****

_All in the name of love._

****

“Hitting the books?” he drawled out, alerting the boy to his prescence as he shucked off his bag and took a seat on the other side of the bench. 

****

Scott frowned up at him, jaw clenched as he asked lowly, “What’re _you_ doing here?” 

****

“Came to tell you that your girlfriend’s mother – remember, the one who wants to _disembowel_ all of us?” Isaac bit out sardonically, eyes flashing up to meet Scott’s annoyed gaze in amusement, “She knows about what’s going on between you and her daughter. Vanessa and I saw the whole thing and can I just say – you are _so_ dead.” 

****

“ _What_?” Scott exclaimed, head whipping around as if the woman was going to to appear out of nowhere with a silver bullet with his name on it before he leaned in close to the other boy to ask frantically, “Are you sure?” 

****

“If me and Vanessa could see the whole thing – and by the whole thing, I mean _your_ tongue and _her_ tongue,” the boy cringed lightly at the thought before shrugging, “Than it’s safe to say that she could see it too.” 

****

Scott threw his head back with a groan, eyes squeezed shut as he wiped a hand across his forehead as he cried, “What’re we gonna do?” 

****

“Stop being a wimp for one,” Isaac snarked, feeling satisfied when the other boy shot him a glare, “And stay on your guard. With the way she was staring at the two of you, I wouldn’t bet against an Argent attack happening sooner than we expected.” 

****

The dark blonde picked up one of Scott’s pencils to fidget with while the other boy went through his extesential crisis, head buried in his hands as he tried to think of what he was going to do to fix it. If it was something that _was_ fixable. Isaac frowned slightly as he watched Scott, something – _maybe, like, I don’t know, a conscious?_ – nudging at him to offer some reassurances of some kind. It was gonna be awkward as hell and would probably leave a sour taste in his mouth, but it was kind of pathetic just watching the guy. 

****

“Look, I can tell Derek to prepare for retaliation,” Isaac suggested with a shrug, watching as Scott raised a brow at him before continuing, “If I were the Argents, I’d take advantage of the same situation we have decided to take advantage of.” 

****

Scott thought about it for a moment before his eyes widened in realization, “The rave.” 

****

“Exactly.” 

****

“But how would they know to go there?” he asked before he answered his own question with a heavy sigh as he murmured, “Allison.” 

****

“Normally, I’d be a ticked off at the fact your hunter girlfriend is walking around with all of our plans in that pretty little head of hers,” Isaac’s eyes glinted in mischief when Scott gave him a threatening look in warning before he added with a smirk, “But you’re dating her. Derek and Vanessa trust you. And I trust Vanessa and Derek so I guess, we just have to be one step ahead.” 

****

The other boy nodded his head in agreement, a grim set to his shoulders and eyes as he faced the reality that his girlfriend and her family would involve themselves in this conflict no matter what. He shook his head before relenting, fixing a helpless look on Isaac before asking, “What do you have in mind?” 

****

\- 

****

#### VANESSA AND ALLISON

****

****

Allison sat there laughing for what felt like forever before her laughter descended into tears. Vanessa let her cry, crawling forward, and pulling her friend into a tight hug as she rocked her against her chest. The dark-haired girl threw her arms around her, her sobs dampening her friend's shirt as she wrecked herself with her fears, her sadness, her hopelessness, and finally, her anger until there was nothing left but hoarse, muffled screams. 

****

The whole time, Vanessa did not say a word, not even in reassurance, content to let her friend cry it out. Words would not comfort either of them, not anymore. She had used words all her life to fix problems but what actually fixed problems were the physical manifestation of their lifeline. The acts they committed or the senses they turned to in their hour of their greatest need. She doubted that Allison would find more comfort from empty promises that everything was going to be okay than she would from the warm embrace of someone who would hold her when she needed to let it out. 

****

Because Vanessa knew, just as well as the next person, that it was worse to leave your feelings bottled up inside. 

****

_Way **worse**_. 

****

“What am I going to do, Nessa?” Allison breathed out against her neck, voice aghast and hoarse. 

****

“ _We’re_ ,” Vanessa corrected, pulling back from the girl with her hands clasped on her shaking shoulders and a hard, determined glint in her blue eyes, “going to figure this out. But I need you to be ready. Are you ready yet?” 

****

The dark-haired girl stared up at her with glassy eyes before transforming. It was slow at first, as a tear trailed down her cheek to drip onto the hot ground beneath them. Then her mouth thinned into a harsh line, jaw clenched as it dropped open with a silent gasp. The glass in her eyes hardened, darkening into a metallic look that made Vanessa feel a grim sense of pride. 

****

_The time for crying is over, Allie, for both of us._

****

“I’m ready.” 

****

The brunette nodded before sitting back, both girls settling into seriousness as Vanessa began, “Is your mother’s role in the family purely leadership or does she take part in the actual hunt.” 

****

Allison inhaled sharply before composing herself, answering in a low tone, “I’ve never seen her use any of the weapons in the garage. I think it’s just leadership.” 

****

The other girl considered this for a moment before nodding, “Than we should prepare for your family to attack. Maybe your father?” 

****

Leaning forward with a thoughtful look, Allison tilted her head before muttering in uncertainty, “I’m not sure. If I hear anything about it, I’ll let you know.” 

****

The bell rang out from below them to signal that break was over, the dark haired girl getting up to go to class when Vanessa stopped her with a hand on her arm, a soft look of concern shared between them both as the brunette pulled her back down and into a tight hug, whispering, “If anything bad goes down with you and your folks, you know you’re always welcome to stay at mine. Whenever you want.” 

****

“I know.” 

****

\- 

****

#### ISAAC AND SCOTT

****

****

The boys had spent most of the break going over the plan for Friday night, amending it now that they were almost certain the hunters would interfere. Boyd and Derek would wait outside the rave to stop any of the hunters from getting to Jackson while Erica, Isaac, Vanessa, Scott and Allison would be inside to keep an eye on the puppet and his puppeteer. Stiles would play the middle man, the contact between the outside and the inside in case anyone needed him. 

****

The bell rang out for fourth period, Isaac immediately making to head to Econ when a hand landed on his arm, stopping him in his tracks. He whipped his head towards Scott, whose brows were furrowed as he told him, “Thanks. For coming out here and telling me.” 

****

Isaac was uncomfortable with the gratitude that shone from the other boy’s eyes, used to seeing nothing but suspicion and annoyance since he had known him, before clearing his throat. 

****

“Well, you’re pack now so,” he shrugged nochantly, looking anywhere but at him, “Gotta look out for our own.” 

****

Scott jerked back at the word ‘pack’, freezing up as it echoed in his head for a moment before sighing. 

****

“Yeah, I guess we do.” 

****

\- 

****

“Ketamine?” Scott asked quizzically, staring at the small jar the vet held between his fingers. 

****

“The same thing we use on the dogs, just a higher dosage,” Deaton explained, before sticking the needle into the cap and drawing out the liquid into the syringe, “If you can get close enough to Jackson, it should slow him down enough to buy you some time.” 

****

It was just after school let out that Scott received a message from his boss asking to meet with him, Vanessa and Stiles at the clinic, claiming that he had suggestions for how they could possible incapacitate the kanima, and even more so, the Master. 

****

“This,” Deaton said as he turned to the counter behind him to pick up another jar, this time one with a familiar symbol on the front containing a black power like substance that he had used to put a ring around the puppet insigna last time they were there, “Is what you’ll use to create the barrier. This part is for one of you two.” 

****

He pointed to Stiles and Vanessa, the latter raising a brow when the vet emphasized 'Only you two'. 

****

“Why?” she asked, cocking a hip out and placing her hand on it while she used the other to gesture to the jar, “Why can’t Scott or one of the wolves do it? What even is this stuff?” 

****

“This is called Mountain Ash. It has been used to protect humans and ward off supernatural creatures for centuries. Used in it’s natural form, it’s can’t be touched or ingested by supernatural creatures under _any circumstances_. In diluted forms such as wood or crafted objects, it serves to weaken and diminishes a supernatural presence. For example, the door between the front of the clinic and the rest of the building is made of Mountain Ash which makes it…… _difficult_ for supernatural creatures to get……. _rowdy_.” 

****

“Like when Peter couldn’t cross over?” Scott murmured, more to himself than to the rest of them but, nevertheless, Deaton nodded in agreement. 

****

“People like Peter will find that I don’t tolerate violent or aggressive behaviour in this establishment and they will also come to realize that no amount of threats or petty acts of violence will affect or harm me or any other patron under my protection, so long as I wish it.” 

****

“That’s pretty bad ass, Doc,” Vanessa grinned as she picked up the jar of black power to hold it up to her face, “So, what happens if someone like Scott _does_ end up touching this stuff?” 

****

“I don’t know about any confirmed cases of what happens to a supernatural should they touch it, only rumors – which is enough to make me cautious but I do know that if ingested, it acts in a similar way as that of a human who is rejecting a Bite from an Alpha.” 

****

Stiles’ brows furrowed in confusion but the short brunette next to him let out a gasp, stumbling back from Scott in an attempt to get the jar away from him and placed it back on the table as she nodded hastily, “Yeah, let’s _not_ touch that today. Or any other day, for that matter” 

****

“ _That_ is why only you or Stiles can do this,” Deaton repeated, lips drawn thin. 

****

Gingerly picking the jar up with a raised brow at the stern set of the vet’s face and Vanessa’s reaction, Stiles mumbled quietly to himself, “Sounds like a lot of pressure. Can you find a slightly _less_ pressure-filled task for me? I’m sure Vanessa can handle it, right Ness?” 

****

“ _Actually_ ,” the older man spoke up, interrupting any protest that the girl would have shot back, “I would suggest this be the perfect task for you to complete. Vanessa, while also able to handle the Mountain Ash, would have a greater chance at using the ketamine on Jackson.” 

****

“ _No_ ,” Scott shook his head as he insisted, “It’d be too dangerous. We’ll have Isaac or Erica do that.” 

****

“Hold on, I wanna hear what the man has to say,” Vanessa drawled with a curious gleam in her eyes that made the two boys behind her groan before turning to Deaton and asking, “Why do you say that, Doc?” 

****

“You’re shorter, female, generally unassuming. Higher chance as getting close to someone without them being suspicious. Jackson - _as I hear it_ – is mostly agitated and put on guard around Scott and Stiles but I believe that your prescense would be less likely to come across as threatening.” 

****

Stiles and Scott held their breathe, waiting for their best friend to go on one of her rants about how she was a lean, mean killing machine and looked just as scary – if not _more_ scary than her best friends – as the two boys gaped in silent wonder when the girl, instead, nodded her head in agreement as she took the syringe from the doctor and listened to his instructions on where on the body it was best to stick it. 

****

After the two finished up on the mini course on ‘ _Tranquilizing Jackass Captains of the Lacrosse Team 101_ ’, Vanessa turned back to her two best friends with a look of resolve as she announced, “Alright, so if I’m doing this ketamine thingy, Stiles is on Mountain Ash duty.” 

****

The boy in question pulled a face before snarking, “Okay, so then what? I just spread this around the whole building and Jackson, or whoever’s controlling him, can’t cross it?” 

****

Deaton nodded, “They’ll be trapped.” 

****

“Oh,” Stiles nodded back in surprise as he put his hands on his hips with his brows furrowed in a look that clearly thought ' _it couldn’t be **that** easy_'. 

****

“Doesn’t sound too hard,” Scott smiled optimistically at him, Vanessa patting his shoulder reassuringly in support. 

****

“That’s not all it is,” the Vet interrupted, Stiles sighing with his held hand out towards the man as he shot his two best friends a look that said ‘ _I told you so_ ’ while Deaton continued to elaborate, “Think of it like gun powder. It’s just powder until a _**spark**_ ignites it. _You_ need to be that spark, Stiles.” 

****

“If you mean light myself on fire, I _don’t_ think I’m up for that.” 

****

Vanessa snorted at the uncertainty in his voice – as if he _really **did**_ expect it would take setting himself on fire for this plan to work. Scott shot him a look as if he were being crazy, but Stiles wasn’t entirely absurd in his hesitance. She wouldn’t be surprised if one of these days, it would take one of them actually _dying_ for a plan to work. For them to get somewhere in this never-ending battle they seemed to have with enemies who _**never**_ wanted to leave well enough alone. 

****

The older man chuckled quietly before amending, “Let me try a different analogy. I used to golf. I learned that the best golfers never swing before first imagining where they want the ball to go. They see it in their mind and their mind takes over. It can be pretty extraordinary what the force of your own will can accomplish.” 

****

Stiles swallowed before nodding back at the vet, murmuring to himself as if he understood. 

****

“Force of will.” 

****

Vanessa, personally, thought the spark analogy was kind of cool but the force of will thing – that was pretty clear-cut instruction manual right there. _Easier said than fucking done_ , and she bet everything she owned that her own thoughts were echoed inside of the head of the boy next to her. 

****

“ _If_ ,” Deaton started, leaning forward until he caught the boy’s eye, “If this is going to work, Stiles, you **_have_** to **_believe_** it.” 

****

Scott and Vanessa turned to their best friend as he held his arms out on either side of him, inhaling deeply with his eyes wide open before humming in agreement. 

****

The older man nodded, satisfied for now that the boy would work on his confidence before he turned to prepare the bag of Mountain Ash and the ketamine. While Stiles and Scott walked off towards the front of the clinic, Vanessa sidled up next to the vet and whispered, “Force of will, huh?” 

****

“It can do amazing things, Vanessa. Like I told Stiles’, it can only work if you believe it will work.” 

****

“Does that apply to _everything_ or only the Mountain Ash?” 

****

Deaton turned to her with his brows furrowed in thought as he considered her, warily replying, “I believe that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, if you **_will_** it.” 

****

“Including stopping panic attacks?” 

****

Eyes softening as he realized what she was getting at, the older man paused in his tasks to place a hand on her shoulder as he told her truthfully, “If you wish it hard enough, I believe you can put a stop to _anything_.” 

****

There was something telling in the way he worded his response, a silent message behind his eyes that twinkled knowingly as if he knew something she had yet to understand before he turned away to continue his tasks. 

****

Vanessa was not yet satisfied with the knowledge she was given, hungering for more now that she knew he was willing to share it. 

****

“What are you, Doc?” 

****

“Like I told your boyfriend – “ 

****

“If you say a Veterinarian, I am going to _scream_ ,” she grounded out through gritted teeth, shaking her head at him as she said, “How does someone become like you? How does someone find out the stuff you know?” 

****

“In any other instance, I would say get a PhD but – “ he rushed out when he saw the flash of irritation in the young girl’s eyes, “This room is so tiny and you have an impressive set of lungs on you.” 

****

“You got a _real_ sense of humor; you know that Doc?” Vanessa told him, annoyance coloring her tone despite the reluctant smile forming on her lips. It disappeared as fast as it appeared as her features pinched back in desperation as she pleaded with the older man softly, “Please Doc, I just want to help my friends.” 

****

The older man stopped what he was doing, back straightening up as he released a heavy sigh before turning to her with a serious expression. 

****

“Once this conflict with the kanima and the hunters is over, and you still wish to learn, I will teach you.” 

****

“Thank you,” The brunette whispered as she broke out into a bright, hopeful smile before turning to head out to join the boys in the waiting room before remembering, “Oh, could you make a tranq up for Erica and Isaac too. Just in case it doesn’t go to plan?” 

****

“Of course.”

****


	26. Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the night of the Rave and so much shit goes down. But hey, that's to be expected.  
> Just another Friday night at Beacon Hills, am I right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everybody enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you thought in the comments below! Reminder that criticism, suggestions and feedback is both welcomed and deeply appreciated x
> 
> \- Song in this chapter is "One (Your Name)" by Swedish House Mafia.

It was Friday third period when Vanessa and Erica cornered Allison at the bleachers with matching grins, Isaac and Boyd shaking their heads at their eccentric behavior before joining Scott and Stiles on the field to begin practice. The two boys clearly thought very little of the girl’s plan – not seeing any merit in it at all but because the girls were _**very**_ _persuasive_ – meaning very _stubborn_ – they quickly silenced their protest and let them do their own thing. 

Allison, however, seemed to share the same amount of enthusiasm as the boy’s when they told her of their plan. 

“You want to go _shopping_ at a time like this?” the dark haired girl screeched as her two friends led her towards the parking lot. 

“Look, we can look at this two ways,” Vanessa told her, holding up two fingers as she listed, “You can look at it as the plan to trap a psycho lizard and his equally psycho master or you can look it as a normal Friday night out in Beacon Hills?” 

“I look at it as going out to a warehouse to trap a psycho lizard while simultaneously going on a date with his psycho lizard master.” 

The brunette raised a brow at her friend’s dry words before shrugging back, “Like I said, a normal Friday night out in Beacon Hills.” 

Erica threw her head back laughing, nodding at Allison in agreement as she murmured reassuring, “Just go along with it. The quicker you relax and have fun; the quicker time will go by.” 

Allison sighed reluctantly before giving the two girls a small smile and an eye roll as they all hopped into Vanessa’s Ford. 

“ _Fine_. But I swear to God if this a repeat of what happened with Peter when we were shopping for dresses – “ 

“Peter’s dead, Matt’s in love with you and Jackson is too stuck up to be seen anywhere near the mall – at least, where we shop,” Vanessa shot back with a slight wince as she reminisced how she wouldn’t be able to ask the insane Hale werewolf fashion advice now that his nephew slit his throat. 

“I feel like I’m missing something,” Erica chimed in, head cocked in confusion as it swung between the two girls in the car alongside her. 

“Once upon a time – “ 

“ _Meaning_ one month ago – “ 

“ _Once upon a time_ ,” Vanessa insisted, flashing a look at the dark haired girl who tried to interrupt her story, Allison raising her hands up in surrender, “There were two girls and a psycho Alpha werewolf who gave out threats and fantastic fashion advice simultaneously……” 

\- 

“So, instead of studying and doing something productive with your life,” Stiles began as he picked Vanessa up at her house that same night, “You decided to go shopping for a rave we are using as a cover to trap psycho lizard boy and psycho stalker boy. Am I correct?” 

“The actual way to greet me is by telling me how great I look tonight,” Vanessa shot back as she climbed into the passenger seat while Scott moved to the boot so she didn’t have to sit there. She gave him a grateful smile, her lips only spreading wider when her best friend grinned back at her. 

“You look great tonight, Nessa,” Scott told her, earning a look of betrayal from Stiles. 

“Oh, don’t act innocent! You were complaining _just as much_ as me and Isaac – God, I can’t believe me and her jerk of a boyfriend actually _agreed_ on something for once!” 

“ _Hey!_ ” Vanessa cried out, making an indigent sound as she swatted his arm, “Don’t call my boyfriend a –“ 

The girl paused in her defense, frowning slightly as she asked, “Wait, did you just say that _Isaac_ was complaining about me shopping?” 

“Yes, so less hitting and more sitting still,” Stiles hissed out, eyes darting to the road in panic as he murmured, “I’m trying to drive.” 

“ _Please_ ,” Vanessa scoffed, waving a hand as if to fan the stink of bullshit he was spouting, “You _never_ look when you drive.” 

“Neither do you, you hypocrite!” 

“ _Actually_ , I’m being more responsible when it comes to road safety!” 

“The only thing that would make you take road safety seriously would be if you _**killed**_ someone.” 

_I almost did but Derek has superhuman strength and healing, so I dodged a bullet on that one._

She must have been quiet for too long because Stiles abruptly cried out, “ _Oh my God_ , Nessa, please tell me you didn’t fucking kill someone!” 

“ _ **Language!**_ ” she reprimanded subconsciously, ignoring the withering look he sent her before scrunching up her face, “And of course I didn’t kill someone!” 

It was silent for a moment, beside Stiles murmuring about how he couldn’t believe she reprimanded him on his language choices when Scott announced, “Alright, we’re here.” 

“ _Finally!_ ” Vanessa exclaimed, shooting a sneer at Stiles before opening the car door to hop out, “Get me out of here before I _actually_ **do** kill someone.” 

She heard Stiles mutter something that sounded suspiciously like, ‘Wow, I love my friends’ before she slammed the door in his face, but she was probably imagining things. It _did_ sound very negative and very sarcastic – two things that Stiles was _definently **not**_ known for. 

Luckily for their poor best friend who had to listen to their bickering, they got distracted by inspecting the warehouse before approaching the entrance nervously, the heavy beat of the music thumping through the walls and blue lights flashing through the fogged up windows that stood above them. 

“Alright, help me get the stuff,” Stiles directed Scott while Vanessa had taken the time to inspect the building. 

Scott didn’t move, instead turning to face his friend with a frown as he reminded him, “I can’t. Only you can do this, remember?” 

“Alright, fine – Ness, can you stop daydreaming and help me with this stuff?” 

“Only _you_ can do this, remember?” she repeated with a grin, flipping her curls over her shoulder to shoot him a look of glittering mischief as she crooned playfully, “Believe in yourself, babe, and anything can happen.” 

“ _Oh my fucking God_!” Stiles groaned, throwing his head back as he snatched up both bags and heaved them over his shoulders, “Don’t start.” 

Vanessa frowned slightly at that. Her friend, who was normally very sparse when it came to swearing – only limiting himself to words like ‘bitch’ and ‘shit’ as to not disrupt the flow of more creative comebacks – was doing a heck load of it tonight and she was _almost_ a hundred percent sure it wasn’t her influence rubbing off on him. Hell, he’d known her for years and he had sworn more times in the last couple of months than he had his whole life. And only in times of great stress, which meant that something was weighing him down. Not the heavy bags on his back or the pressure from his task – _although that probably was not helping in the slightes_ t – there was something going on that he hadn’t told her and Scott yet. Something important. 

Before she could ask if he was okay, Scott’s head tilted in the way wolves did when they were listening to something humans could not, before frowning. 

“Oh, not **_now!_** ” he exclaimed before jogging off without a word to either of his best friends. 

“Scott!” Stiles called after him with wide eyes and a slack jaw as they watched the boy disappear into the warehouse. 

Vanessa was equally as perplexed, having no clue as to why Scott would just up and leave them like that but decided that it must have been urgent. 

“This plan _officially_ sucks,” the boy next to her muttered, sighing heavily as he dropped the bags onto the ground with a grunt, leaning against the side of his jeep with a hand swept across his face. 

Blue eyes softened as they considered him, the owner of the wanting nothing more than to make sure her best friend was okay and to maybe talk to him about what was weighing on him but with the plan and the time frame and all the complexities of how tonight was supposed to go down, she needed to get inside and to give the ketamine over to Isaac and Erica before trying to figure out the best way to approach Jackson without raising the awareness of his alter ego or his master. 

“Stiles,” she murmured quietly, coming around to stand in front of him with a hand on his shoulder as she waited for his eyes to settle on hers, “Stiles, I know it’s a lot of pressure and I can tell you have a lot of other things on your mind right now but I need you to know – “ 

“That we have more important things to do?” he drawled almost knowingly, seemingly unsurprised with what he thought she was trying to tell him, “Yeah, I know.” 

“No, I need you to know that if you need some time, I’ll try to stall as long as I can,” the brunette offered, watching as his eyes widened softening in gratitude as she continued, “I just want you to know that I believe in you. No matter what happens, I believe that you can do whatever the hell you set your mind to. Now, chalk it up to force of will or being whatever kind of spark Doc was talking about, but I will _always_ believe that you – as in _Stiles fucking Stilinski_ \- have the sheer mental prowess _**alone**_ to do _anything_ – even put a circle of dirt around a stingy warehouse.” 

Stiles stared down at her for a moment in silence before the corners of his mouth pulled up into a small smirk as he replied playfully, “Sheer mental prowess, huh?” 

Vanessa rolled her eyes despite her own smile dancing across her lips as she swatted his arm gently, “Whatever helps you through this buddy but if anyone asks, I’m gonna deny it ‘til my dying day.” 

He shook his head at her in amusement before waving her on, “Go on ahead. I’m gonna be okay.” 

“Remember, I believe in you.” 

“And if Vanessa O’Connor believes in me, I can do anything I set my mind to, right?” 

Smirking back at him, the girl shrugged her shoulders and gave him a wink, calling back, “Something like that,” before heading to the entrance Scott had disappeared through minutes before. 

The first thing she noticed when she walked into the dark, was the smell. A mix of perfume, alcohol and sweat attacked her senses, causing her head to grow heavy as she travelled further into the building. The loud bass of the music pumped through the walls and the floor, sending delicious vibrations up her body as she neared the room, divided only by thin plastic strips hanging from the doorway above her. 

With a deep breathe, she pushed her way through and came face to face with a room full of bodies, jumping and withering as the DJ dropped the bass and the beat of the song came down full throttle and despite her mission, she felt herself smile as she approached the fray, eyes wide and full of excitement. 

_That looks so fun, I wonder if it’s like that time at Lydia’s Lacrosse party._

Vanessa had only been to the one party, never having been invited out to others before she returned from the winter holidays. Then again, she didn’t have the friends she did now. Nor did she have the motivation to go out to them, despite the undying curiosity of what it would be like. 

Her eyes caught on two figures standing at the edge of the crowd, not too far off from where she was standing, and she grinned mischievously. Inching her way through the bodies into their line of sight, Vanessa threw her hands up her head and moved against the flow, waiting until she caught their attention. 

It was Erica who saw her first, glossy lips curling up in amusement at the sight of her friend, body moving with the techno beat of _One (Your Name)_ , brown curls whipping across her face as her hips swayed. The blonde nudged the boy next to her but found that she didn’t need to bring him to attention. Isaac’s eyes were already glued on the dancing girl, lips curled up in a smirk as his body leaned in her direction. 

_I wanna know your name_

_You just kill me, could you at least do that?_

_I wanna know your name_

_Or better yet, stand there_

_Just do that_

Isaac pushed his way through the crowd, making it to her in time for the bass to drop. Pulling her to him, they moved with one another, her hips shaking against him, his hands tightening on the bare flesh of her sides as her top rode up. It was low cut, black and glittering - meant to compliment the lighter shades Erica had chosen to wear tonight. 

“Glad you guys could make it,” Vanessa yelled over the music, grinning up at him cheekily as she threw her arms around his neck. 

Isaac leaned his head down, lips brushing the shell of her ear as he replied, “Glad to be here.” 

“Did you guys see Scott come in?” she asked, eyes darting around for any sign of her best friend. 

Her boyfriend nodded, turning her around and pointing out the boy leaning against the stone pillar. 

“He’s been over there, creeping on his girlfriend and her date.” 

Now that he mentioned it, she could make out Matt Daehler dressed in a dark leather jacket with his hands wrapped around one of Allison’s as he led her through the mass throng of bodies surrounding them. Vanessa arched a brow at the sight, laughing a bit as she joked to Isaac, “Did you let Matt raid your wardrobe?” 

“Nope.” 

“You must be a trend setter or something.” 

Isaac sent her a dry look that said ' _real funny_ ', before he jerked his head to Erica, who had appeared behind him, leading the two girls out of the crowd and over to Scott, who had gestured for Allison to join him. Once the dark-haired girl made it over to them, she informed them about her father’s plan. 

Vanessa didn’t like it one bit. 

“Allie, I love you to bits but I doubt that your family – and by your family I mean _**Gerard**_ – is into the whole rehabilitation, relocation and release thing. If one of them get Jackson in their sights, they’ll kill him. No hesitation.” 

Scott looked slightly dubious at this until Isaac reminded him, “If Derek ripping out his throat didn’t finish him off, I doubt whatever the Argents have planned will be any different. They’ll end up getting themselves killed.” 

“So what do we do?” Allison asked, looking around the group. 

“Boyd and Derek will be making a perimeter of the building. If they’re not already in here, they’ll be coming soon. If we can keep them from entering the building, I think we can continue on with the plan,” Isaac told her with Erica and Scott nodding in agreement. 

“Okay, so what do I do?” the dark haired girl questioned. 

“Just keep Matt distracted, sweetie. Observe to see if he senses anything that happens to Jackson, because finding out more about this Master/kanima bond thing could be crucial to finding out how to cure Jackson,” Vanessa directed before placing a hand on her shoulder and brining her into a hug, whispering softly, “Look out for yourself. If he does anything even slightly sketchy, kick his ass without any hesitation. Or call me, and we can do it together.” 

Both boys scoffed from behind her, which she ignored while Erica came up beside them with a wicked smile and told Allison, “If you decide he needs to get his ass kicked, count me in.” 

Allison laughed, nervousness draining out of her slowly as she nodded at the two girls, shooting a smile at Scott, and more hesitantly, Isaac, before spinning on her heel and making her way back over to Matt, who’s eyes were narrowed on the group suspiciously. Vanessa waved at him with twinkling eyes - more in threats of murder than in any genuine amusement. 

She was _almost_ a hundred percent certain he got the message, sliding his hand back into Allison’s before disappearing onto the dance floor. 

“I’m _really_ starting to regret telling her to go out with him,” Scott growled out through gritted teeth, making as if to go after them before Isaac’s hand came and settled on his shoulder. 

“Easy. Your girl seems to know what she’s doing. Don’t mess up the plan,” the taller boy hissed into his ear. 

Vanessa nodded in agreement as she turned to her best friend, “Isaac’s right. Besides, this is payback for giving shitty advice. Who the fuck tells their girlfriend to date someone else?” 

“ _Her mom_ – “ 

“Is scary, yes, _believe me_ , I _**know**_. But don’t treat your girlfriend like a piece of meat you need to throw at other dogs just because your scared of getting your dick shot off.” 

Scott’s eyes flashed at her in warning as he whispered harshly, “I didn’t _treat_ her – “ 

****

“Yes, yes you did. But you’re lucky because Allison loves you. Don’t screw that up,” Vanessa advised him with a hard poke to his chest before softening slightly to ask, “Now, do you have the ketamine?” 

****

The boy looked like he was about to ignore her, anger still visible by the tight clench of his jaw and the hard set of his brown eyes before he turned to the other two Betas with the syringes. Isaac leaned on the stone pillar; brows furrowed as he took in the liquid before looking at Scott. 

****

“Okay, you got to make sure to do this thing intravenously which means in the vein,” he explained, “When you find him, pull back on this plunger here. In the neck is probably gonna be the easiest.” 

****

He demonstrated on Erica’s, finger tapping on the point most preferable before looking back to Isaac to make sure the boy understood what he was being told. Isaac nodded, prompting Scott to continue. 

****

“So, you find a vein, jam it in there and pull back on the trigger,” he repeated to them before handing over the two syringes. Before the two could make to leave, his hands landed on their arms, halting them before they could turn away. 

****

Scott made sure both Betas were looking at him before he murmured sternly, “Be careful.” 

****

Isaac chuckled humorlessly as his fingers brushed against the plunger in anticipation, “I doubt I’ll even _slightly_ hurt him.” 

****

“No, I mean _you_ ,” Scott corrected, brows furrowed over soft brown eyes that drifted between Isaac and over to Erica so they knew he meant both of them when he said, “I don’t want you to get hurt.” 

****

Isaac gaped in disbelief at the boy as he headed off into the crowd, presumably to listen out in case Allison, Stiles, Derek or Boyd needed help. Erica was looking down at the syringe in her hands, lips pulled up in a small smile, finding comfort in Scott’s concern for their safety after receiving nothing but suspicion and tolerance for them both. 

****

Vanessa was staring at her two friends softly, bittersweet in her pride for her best friend’s kind words of concern in parting. She knew it meant a lot to Erica and Isaac for him to care about their wellbeing, knowing that his continued rejection and derision towards them had to hurt the two of them slightly. Vanessa hoped this meant that they were becoming closer to treating one another like a real pack and prayed to whoever was out there listening in that nothing would come between that fragile understanding. 

****

Isaac jaw tightened in determination, eyes trailing away from Scott’s retreating figure to the DJ stand, where off to the side stood a familiar woman, nodding her head along to the beat. The boy jerked his head in her direction before leading the blonde and brunette through the crowd. He stopped a few paces from her and turned to the two girls. 

****

“Vanessa, stay by the bar,” he directed to her surprise as he gestured to himself and Erica, “If we see Jackson, we’ll corner him and incapacitate him. If it doesn’t go our way, get Scott and bring him over. _Don’t approach us_.” 

****

“But I’m the only one besides you two who has a ketamine shot,” she argued back, raising the syringe out of her pocket to support her point. 

****

She watched her boyfriend soften slightly at that before he pulled her towards him to whisper in her ear, “ _That_ is your only defense if he goes after you. Don’t waste it on helping us. That’s your weapon and I don’t want you to use it for anything but _protecting **yourself**_ , okay? Just get Scott.” 

****

Vanessa hated it when he was right. It was fucking annoying because it made sense, it was practical, and it was logical. Even if it meant that she would be standing back helpless, she knew it would make them all feel better if she was out of the way. If she got herself hurt trying to perform some useless maneuver that would do nothing to stop a kanima, her friends would never forgive her. _She_ would never forgive herself. 

****

The brunette nodded; shoulders slouched in disappointment as she lowered the syringe back into her pocket with a heavy sigh. Isaac pressed a firm kiss to the side of her temple before stepping back, Erica sending her a sympathetic smile before joining the taller boy in the crowd. 

****

Vanessa huffed to herself before making her way over to the bar, ordering a cola because she knew that there was _no way_ they would sell alcohol to her without ID. This place was stingy enough without the cops having something _actually_ illegal to hold against them. Sitting herself on a stool at the very end of the bar, she turned to watch her friends in the crowd. And that was when she saw _**him**_. 

****

She knew immediately that he wasn’t himself and wondered briefly if this was the way he acted with Allison in the locker rooms that day. Jackson prowled towards the gate keeping the crowd back from the DJ booths with predatory intent, head tilted slightly as if he was considering his prey, intense blue eyes narrowed on Kara in a way that could only be described as **deadly**. 

****

Vanessa tensed in her seat, almost frightened that he would make it to the girl before it was too late when a pale hand appeared at the nape of his neck. Erica came from his left, the blonde leaning into press her mouth gently on the soft, vulnerable skin behind his ear. Like a siren, she lulled him to her, body bending him to her will. The brunette watched as Jackson gasped at the contact, and for a brief moment she hoped. Hoped that whatever juju Erica was doing to him – _also known as some clear-cut seduction_ – would shake him out of the trance being the kanima put him in. 

****

She watched as Isaac appeared behind the two, coming to stand with chest against Erica’s back. Vanessa felt her pulse beat faster at the sight, mouth slightly ajar over the rim of her drink. Her boyfriend’s hands settled against Erica’s hips, their lips barely gliding by the other before brushing against Jackson’s jaw. Heat flooded her chest, her blood, her face as she watched them. She would claim jealously but she _knew_ what jealousy felt like. It roared in someone’s ears and made you see red. 

****

The brunette only saw blue, electric in its form as it pulsed around the threesome like lights that pulsed in the dark, attracting innocent moths into it’s trap. She didn’t know who was the moth here, Jackson or her, but she knew that despite knowing the deadly intent behind the Betas eyes, she wanted nothing more than join them in their dark delight, in the seductive tale they spun around the boy in their grasps. 

****

It was a never-ending coin toss between who was the luckiest in this situation, Erica, or Jackson. Although, she amended quickly, being in a semi-threesome with Isaac and Erica was something out of a wet dream. It did serious things to her sexuality and made her throat parched and her eyes glaze over. Throwing back her drink, she slammed down some money for another before turning back to watch the show. 

****

A warm body appeared on her other side, Scott voice grunting annoyingly in her ear, “Seriously, Nessa. I can _**smell**_ you from the other side of the room.” 

****

“I can’t even _begin_ to describe how fucking **gross** that is,” she murmured back, uncaring despite her words as she sipped her new drink, eyes still glued to the threesome, “And you can’t blame me with _**that**_ going on right _there_.” 

****

“Well, since you’re not doing anything _useful_ ,” her best friend muttered before pulling her off her seat and leading her to the exit, “We’re going to see if Stiles has the circle up yet.” 

****

“But I wanna staayyyyy,” she whined, sending a longing look over her shoulder at the trio. She caught Isaac’s eyes from over Jackson’s shoulders, the boy sending her a saucy wink while their target was busy nuzzling Erica’s neck. She sent him a heated look before she disappeared around the corner, _just_ missing the moment Isaac brought out the syringe, followed by Jackson’s claws digging into the backs of the two werewolves, who he knew the whole time were trying to distract him from his master’s task. 

****

Vanessa rolled under the garage door after Scott, knees grazing the hard cement before she got back to her feet, brushing off the dirt that stained her skin there. It was tender, slightly bruised and she regretted her choice to wear denim shorts that night instead of her signature black jeans. Scott pulled out his phone, looking everywhere for Stiles when the harsh set of headlights sped towards him fast. 

****

“ **SCOTT, WATCH OUT!** ” the brunette cried out, making to push him out of the way. 

****

She was too late, the bumper of the black car ramming into him hard and knocking him unconscious. Vanessa panicked, eyes darting from her best friend to the black car in fear before she turned tail and ran back inside. 

****

Hiding around the corner, out of sight from anyone looking from the outside, she crouched on the ground, hand held over her mouth as she heard the sound of high heels click against the pavement. 

****

“He’s out,” she heard a familiar, feminine voice drawl in self-satisfaction, “Put him in the boot.” 

****

“Yes, ma’am,” a gruff voice, this time male, replied before the sound of a body being dragged across the ground rang out, coaxing tears from Vanessa’s eyes as another male voice asked. 

****

“What about the girl?” 

****

It was a long minute before she heard the familiar woman reply nochantly, “She’s nobody. She’ll be dealt with soon enough.” 

****

Vanessa didn’t move until she heard those heels click back to the car, until the door opened and closed and until the engine turned on and faded away. Creeping back out, she watched the car drive slowly around the corner of the warehouse and knew what she had to do. Steeling her spine, she jogged after it, phone in hand. When she reached the corner, she peered around gingerly and felt her lips thin into a grim line. 

****

There sat the black car, boot open to reveal Scott’s unconscious body. Two big, barrel chested men in black suits – _doesn’t that sound familiar for some reason?_ – went on either side to heft the boy’s body out to carry him up to another garage door where _**she**_ stood. 

****

Victoria Argent oversaw the proceedings with a keen, silver blue eye, red lips curled in a smirk as the two men disappeared inside with her prize, her following behind not a moment later. 

****

Vanessa swallowed back her anger and distress, shaking fingers pressing on keys to type out a message to Derek. 

****

**VANESSA: _Need your help. Scott’s been taken by Mrs. Argent. Very bad._**

****

Five minutes later that her phone beeped with a reply. 

****

**DEREK: _Follow him. I’ll be there soon._**

****

**VANESSA: _Alright. Southwest side. Hurry please._**

****

Shoving her phone back into her pocket, she hurried along the side of the warehouse, peeking over to see if those henchmen were still lurking around before carefully making her way inside. She tried to soften the sound of her footsteps, staying as close to the shadows of the building as possible as she made her way further inside. 

****

The sound of Victoria’s voice caught her attention, Vanessa freezing up on instinct before gingerly continuing down the hall. When she peeked around the corner, her body stiffened. The henchmen guarded the door, but she could still see what was happening inside the room. 

****

It was disturbing, how one day someone could be sitting in a classroom trying to teach you tenth grade English and the next, they could be sitting over the unconscious body of your best friend with murderous intent in their eyes. She always knew Victoria Argent was scary but now she knew the woman was a **monster**. 

****

It was about ten minutes until she saw her best friend move on the wooden bench he laid on. The breathe she didn’t know she was holding escaped her, relief softening the heavy weight on her shoulders like balm on a bruise. 

****

Victoria, **_the evil bitch_** , merely grinned down at him as she started to go on about teenagers and their drug use. Vanessa secretly took the time to wonder to herself whether or not she could submit her English teacher’s villainous monologue for their next essay. It calmed her, the thought of reading it out in front of the class and Victoria’s face when she realized that she wasn’t as subtle as she made herself out to be. 

****

It distracted her from the fact that it was wolfsbane that the evil, red headed bitch put into the smoke machine, talking about making best friend’s death look like an accident in the same tone as someone would converse about the weather. In fact, Victoria spoke like the whole thing _amused_ her and it took _every single ounce_ of common sense that Vanessa possessed _**not**_ to charge the woman and knock her down on her ass. 

****

As Scott’s face shifted to that of lupine, her heart stuttered. He was dying, her best friend was fucking _dying_ , and she couldn’t do anything to stop him. Derek hadn’t arrived yet and the others were probably too busy locking Matt and Jackson down to help. Vanessa had been helpless before, but it had never felt like this. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she could do nothing but watch as Victoria kicked her best friend off the bench, coming around to tower over him in triumph. 

****

The fact that this woman could call herself a _hunter_ , that she had the **gall** to claim she was someone who _protected_ and _defended_ the **innocent** sickened her to no end. This fucking bitch didn’t know who was innocent or who was guilty, and Vanessa felt like gluing a mirror to her face to help her out. Victoria was _just_ like her father-in-law and Vanessa secretly wondered if it was actually the red headed woman who carried the Argent name instead of Chris. 

****

Not because the man was any _less_ of an hunter, in fact, he and Allison seemed to be the only ones who actually served to _protect_ others. What went _so_ wrong with that family that over three fifths of them turned out to be fucking sociopaths? 

****

It was when Victoria moved on to drawling about how Scott was an Omega that fiery hope lit itself within the brunette’s chest. The same fierce light that turned on within her best friend on the ground as he declared through a throat ravaged by poisonous wolfsbane gas. 

****

“I’m _not_ alone.” 

****

Then he howled. And it was both a sound that wrenched her heart and made it glow in pride at the same time. And Vanessa knew that it was her time to make a move. 

****

She ran, in probably the _stupidest_ move she had made thus far, at the two henchmen guarding the door, kicking one in the shins and ducking under the other's arm as she lunged at the doorway. Strong, callous hands snatched at her waist pulling her back against a hard chest as a low voice grunted in her ear. 

****

“Looks like we’ll be dealing with you sooner rather than later, _precious_.” 

****

Before they could **deal** with her, though, loud footsteps echoed through the room behind them. The henchmen with his meaty hands clasped around her waist was thrown backwards, causing her to stumble alongside him until _someone_ caught her in time. 

****

“I thought I told you to _wait_ ,” Derek grunted at her as he helped steady her. 

****

“I’m pack. I come when I’m called,” she argued back. 

****

Something flickered in the man’s eyes before he turned his attention to the room quickly filling with silver smoke. Before Vanessa could warn him that it was wolfsbane, he sprinted in, kneeling beside Scott’s unconscious body to check if he were still alive. It was because she stayed outside that she saw Victoria move up behind him, knife in hand. 

****

“ **DEREK!** ” Vanessa warned, already heading towards them. 

****

When the knife slid into Derek’s back, it made a sound that threatened to send up her breakfast, but she pressed on, darting forward with her ketamine shot in hand. Derek reflexively pushed his assailant back into Vanessa, the brunette taking advantage of the red head’s shock to sink the syringe into her neck. 

****

Vanessa sneered as she let the woman’s body drop to the floor, making sure that she was still breathing before helping Derek carry Scott out, throwing one of the boy’s arms around her shoulder and gritting her teeth as she shared the semi-dead weight between herself and the injured Alpha on the other side of the unconscious boy. 

****

They struggled all the way to Stiles’ jeep where Erica, Isaac and Stiles waited for them, the former two immediately lunging to take over once they noticed the state their Alpha was in. 

****

“What _**the hell**_ happened?” Stiles exclaimed, coming over to check Vanessa over before moving to where Isaac and Erica had laid out Scott in the boot of his jeep, “What happened to Scott?” 

****

His voice was hoarse in concern, Vanessa pulling him over to wrap her arms around him as she whispered softly, “Victoria Argent tried to kill him. We need to get him to Deaton.” 

****

Stiles’ sucked in the air sharply, breathing it out after a long moment to ask quietly, “What did she use?” 

****

“Wolfsbane,” Derek answered on her behalf from where he was being helped into the back of the jeep next to Scott’s prone body, “Which is why we need to leave. _**Right now**_.” 

****

“Right on time,” Isaac murmured sarcastically, ears pricked up, “Cops will be here in five minutes.” 

****

“ _Shit_ ,” Stiles hissed out, scrambling for the driver’s side as he shouted back at them, “Everybody in. **Now**.” 

****

Vanessa didn’t bother arguing, hopping into the passenger side with Erica squeezed in the middle while Isaac hopped into the boot alongside Derek. The brunette sent a worried glance at her best friend at the wheel, taking in the sheen of sweat that had gathered at his hairline and the way his eyes darted in panic up at his rearview mirror. 

****

_Does this have something to do with what was so off about him earlier? Maybe something to do with his dad?_

****

She decided to wait until later, focusing on getting Scott and Derek the help they needed before she went to worry about anything else. Like the fact it was abruptly clear to her that Jackson was nowhere in sight. That Allison hadn’t rendezvoused with them at the jeep to wait alongside the rest of them. That the plan had clearly gone sideways at some point after she and Scott left Isaac and Erica to their entrapment. 

****

She stayed silent about this the whole way to the clinic, sensing that it weighed heavily on their friends. It was one of those rare moments where she found herself agreeing with what Scott said about allying with the hunters. Their group was spread thin the whole night, torn between battling the hunters and incapacitating Jackson. If they all worked together, the plan would have worked. 

****

But there was nothing that could heal the clear division of interest, not as long as Victoria and Gerard were calling the shots. 

****

\- 

****

Stiles parked the jeep haphazardly in front of the clinic, quickly hurrying out to help Isaac and Erica with Scott while Vanessa walked with a limping Derek towards the front of the building. The short brunette held the doors opened for them all, glancing behind them to make sure they weren’t followed by cops or hunters alike before shutting the door and following the troop into the back room. 

****

They found Boyd sitting at the table, Deaton tending to him with a pair of silver tongs and a metallic plate full of bullets. Bullets that glowed violet and gave off wisp of silver smoke that Vanessa had seen no less then fifteen minutes ago when they rescued Scott. 

****

“Wolfsbane,” she breathed out in fear, as she circled around the table to stand next to Deaton, followed close by Erica and Derek as she ask the dark skinned boy sitting on top of it, “How’re you feeling?” 

****

Boyd gritted his teeth in a grimace as the vet at his belly pulled another piece of metal out of his abdomen, Deaton declaring to them all, “This one was the last. Your healing should kick in soon.” 

****

His dark gaze caught on the unconscious boy carried between Stiles and Isaac, gesturing frantically at the metallic table Boyd was hopping off of, “Here. Put him here.” 

****

Erica came around to help Boyd to the waiting room, telling Derek she was going to take him back to the Den before heading out to the front of the clinic. Vanessa nodded at them before turning her attention to the rest of the group now that she knew Scott was in the safe and medically trained hands of Deaton. Her eyes caught on the bloodstains in Isaac’s shirt, brows furrowing as her hand reached out towards it. 

****

His hand stopped her before she could make contact, long fingers encircling her wrist and bringing her attention to the deep-set blue eyes that stared down at her softly as he reassured her, “I’m okay. Jackson just got a bit handsy that’s all.” 

****

Vanessa snorted at that, rolling her eyes despite the worry that gripped her heart, “Can’t blame him. With the way you guys were dancing, I’d probably have my hands all over you too.” 

****

Isaac looked at her, eyes searching for something unknown to her as he asked carefully, “Did you – was it - I mean, did it bother you – you know, the dancing and the touching – “ 

****

“Shhhhhh,” she raised a finger to his lips, whispering playfully, “I’m _mildly_ suspicious that my boyfriend has a thing for Jackson, but otherwise I’m fine.” 

****

Chuckling into her soft, brown curls, he pressed a kiss onto the side of her head, wrapping her up in a tight embrace which she eagerly returned. Being in his arms again was one of the best feelings in the world, almost on par to that of ice creams and the Breakfast Club, but it was a super close second. She was content to fall asleep standing like that. 

****

That was, until Stiles’ voice drawled behind them laced in sarcasm. 

****

“This is _adorable_ and all, but our best friend is _literally dying_ on the table, Ness, so a little sensitivity will go a long way.” 

****

Isaac growled out at the rude tone Stiles’ took with her, but Vanessa didn’t mind, too tired to do anything but break out of her boyfriend’s warm embrace and walk over to her best friend to wrap her arms around him. 

****

“I know you’re worried but he’s gonna be fine,” she whispered to him, hoping that the more she said it out loud, the more she would actually believe it, “He’s gonna be okay.” 

****

Stiles breathed in sharply before pulling her closer, leaning his head on her shoulder as he asked, “Can we put a hold on stupid plans like this for a while?” 

****

“Sounds like a plan,” Vanessa quipped back, relishing when she drew a laugh from him with the stupid joke. 

****

“Sounds like a plan,” he repeated back to her. 

****

“We have another plan?” Scott’s voice rasped out from the table. 

****

The two best friends pulled apart to rush over to him in excitement and relief, his voice a confirmation of the silent prayer they had shared between them during their embrace. 

****

Derek's sigh could be heard from where he leaned against the wall, Vanessa catching one of those ghost smiles of his as he fought back nodding off in the unfamiliar territory. 

****

Vanessa turned to her boyfriend with a soft look as she told him, “Make sure Derek gets home okay.” 

****

He nodded back to her, giving her a kiss goodbye before slinging one of Derek’s arms around his shoulder and leading his still-healing Alpha out of the clinic, but not before Derek turned to look at Deaton with reluctant gratitude, murmuring softly to the vet, “Thank you.” 

****

Blue eyes followed them all the way out before she turned back to Scott with a happy smile, the boy struggling to right himself on the table while Deaton offered to get him a glass. Scott nodded, the vet retreating to the front of the building while Stiles rubbed at their best friend’s back. 

****

Vanessa went to follow the man, wanting to know if he’d like help cleaning up before they took Scott home but froze at the unmistakable sound of Miss Morell’s voice ringing out from the waiting room. 

****

“Can't decide if I admire your sentimentality or _despise_ it.” 

****

_What the hell was **she** doing there and how long has she been lurking around out there?_

****

Deaton took a long moment to reply and when he did, it only sought to puzzle the eavesdropping brunette even more. 

****

“If I want your opinion, I’ll make an appointment with the guidance office.” 

****

“From the state of things, I think you could use a little _guidance_ ,” Morell responded with a bit of clip to her words, enough to match Deaton’s disdain in equality, “Are you really going to leave all of this up to a couple of kids?” 

****

_She knows?! She knows what they are, what everything is? Is she like Deaton? **Oh my God,** she knows about werewolves and kanimas and she played me and Allison like a fucking fool._

****

“They’re more capable than you think,” Deaton defended, making Vanessa’s heart glow with pride despite her growing annoyance at the realization that he neglected to tell them that there was more people like him in town. 

****

“And are you going to tell them what’s coming?” Morell asked, tone turning with dark satisfaction. A warning was left in the air, a warning that made Vanessa drown with dread at the thought that they might never get a break from all the things this new would throw at them. 

****

“They’ve got enough to worry about,” Deaton told her after a long moment before the sound of the tap rang out. 

****

Vanessa scurried back over to where Scott was rubbing at his head, Stiles’ stepping back with a hand over his jaw as he kept a keen eye on his best friend to make sure he didn’t keel over and die all of a sudden. Or something like that. 

****

Deaton soon came back into the room, the short brunette doing her best to avoid his eyes so he didn’t suspect them of having eavesdropped on his conversation with their guidance counselor. He passed Scott the glass of water with a kind smile before performing a check up to make sure that the wolfsbane had left his system. After clearing the boy of all effects of the toxic plant, he showed the kids out to their cars, standing at the front of the store and watching them drive off with a nervous tick to his jaw that told Vanessa everything she needed to know. 

****

_Something wicked this way comes._

****

And it will only add to the list of seemingly ever-growing problems her and her friends would have to face. 

****

\- 

****

Afterwards, Stiles dropped Scott off at the Den, the latter insisting that he needed to talk to the Alpha about what their next move would be. This left the two best friend to drive home in silence, Vanessa’s continuous worried glances grading on the boy’s nerves until he finally had enough. 

****

Pulling over abruptly on the side of the road, a few blocks over from her house, Stiles hung off the wheel, panting heavily with his head lowered. Vanessa waited patiently, not daring to move to comfort him. He didn’t need that right now, her useless comfort. Stiles needed to let it out. 

****

His shoulders tremored with the weight of what burdened him, lips wobbling as he turned his head to look her in the eye as he told her, “It’s _my_ fault.” 

****

She waited for him to elaborate but when he didn’t, she leaned forward, just an inch, and asked softly, “What’s your fault?” 

****

“My dad got sacked. He got sacked _because of **me**_.” 

****

Vanessa lurched back at the news, mouth hanging ajar in disbelief as she breathed out, “ _What?_ ” 

****

“The department decided that it didn’t _look **good**_ for the son of the Sheriff to go around stealing police vechiles as well as having a restraining order against him by the town’s most prestigious attorney.” 

****

She felt as if he was repeating the words of someone else, someone else who had these same words repeated to them and felt her fist clench in her lap, begging to be let fly. 

****

_Preferably_ into the face of whoever spouted such utter **nonsense**. 

****

“He got fire because of me, Ness. It’s all my fault.” 

****

_To hell with useless comfort_ , she thought, as she pulled him to her chest, Stiles’ letting out a cry that rocked her to her core. His arms flew around her, tightening into a bone-crushing hug that rivalled the likes of Isaac’s. Stiles’ cries tugged at her heartstrings like fingers to shoe laces, undoing her stability one tug at a time until she was crying alongside him. 

****

It was unfair, for Chief to be punished like this. He didn’t deserve this, not after working off his ass every day since he was elected Sheriff. Her godfather did his best with what he had, which was next to nothing being that it was Beacon Hills and most crimes committed there were not of the human variety. 

****

Vanessa wanted nothing more than to drive all the way to Whittemore’s comfy little mansion and _beat the ever loving shit out of him_. So what if it was assault and result with her ass thrown in jail for half her life time? She wouldn’t regret a single moment! She’d even rub it in his face about how he punished the father of the boy who was doing everything he could to make sure Jackson wasn’t killed. She would do it, for Chief and for Stiles, for them, she would tell David Whittemore everything. She would prey on his guilt like a demon on human sin until there was nothing left but the mess he rendered Chief and Stiles into. 

****

She would do it, she would do it for them. 

****

She didn’t notice, lost in the midst of anger, that Stiles had stopped crying until the boy pulled out of her embrace, wiping at his face with the back of his hand as he sat back in his seat. Vanessa did the same, dabbing under her eyes with the back of her sleeve as she told him firmly, “It’s not your fault.” 

****

Stiles’ snorted in disbelief as he replied sarcastically, “Yeah, _right_.” 

****

Vanessa narrowed her eyes at him before grabbing him by his hoodie, causing him to turn to her with wide eyes as she repeated, “ ** _It.Is.Not.Your.Fault_**.” 

****

“ _Then who’s fault is it?_ ” he cried out in exasperation, banging his hand on the wheel as he threw himself back against his seat, “If it’s not mine, who’s fault is it?” 

****

“It’s the fucking **system** ,” she exclaimed back, throwing her hands out in front of her helplessly, “It’s the rules that say that you can’t exactly tell the Sheriff’s department that we had to do what did to save people! To save people from getting slaughtered by a psychotic lizard thing that, in reality, is actually the son of one of the most respected attorneys of Beacon Hills!” 

****

“I _can’t_ ,” Stiles began, voice breaking as he tried to continue, “I can’t do this anymore without him knowing the truth, Vanessa. I can’t disappoint him like this again.” 

****

“Then we’ll tell him,” she replied back without hesitation, ignoring the incredulous look he shot her before reaffirming, “When we get this shit with Jackson and the hunters sorted, we’ll grab Scott and sit Chief down and tell him everything he needs to know.” 

****

It was silent after that except for their heavy breathing, neither one of them saying anything. A minute or two had passed before she heard the boy next to her sigh, fingers twisting the key in ignition as he started the car. 

****

“I wouldn’t hold my breathe about this shit blowing over soon, Ness.” 

****

And as they continued on towards her neighborhood, Vanessa couldn’t help but agree with him as she repeated in her head the phrase that had been haunting her all night. 

****

_Something wicked this way comes._

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be safe. Be healthy. Be aware.  
> Sending well wishes for health and safety in these dire times x  
> Lots of love from AUS,  
> Lou.  
> xoxo


	27. She Will Stand Strong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanessa get's a surprised visit from a friend and ends up vowing revenge by the end of the night.  
> Victoria Argent wakes up from her ketamine shot to a shocking discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING:** Mentions of situations involving stalking and the implications of photographing of child pornography (as everybody in this story besides Derek and the adults is still under the age of 18).
> 
> Please let me know what you thought about this chapter in the comments below. Reminder that suggestions, feedback and criticism are welcomed and appreciated :)

Her voice hurt. That was kind of what was expected when you spent an hour or so ranting with your mothers about the ridiculousness that was the Beacon Hills justice system. When Vanessa had arrived home that night - after Stiles dropped her off with promises to pass on her offers to egg David Whittemore’s house in Chief’s honor – she found Sarah and Lisa in the kitchen, passing back and forth a bottle of Jack Daniels while shouting about how Whittemore wore his ass for a hat and called it his credibility as an attorney. 

So naturally, the brunette coming home late from a rave took advantage of their intoxicated states and shared in their anger and bitterness, even swiping the Jack Daniels bottle at one point with a sly smirk and glittering eyes as Sarah suggested that they should go arrest Mr. Whittemore on the premise of being an asshole. _That_ disaster was only prevented by Lisa’s powers of persuasion and the undeniable fact that whatever made Vanessa jump up and down in excitement was _definitely a **bad idea.**_

So, they headed off into different parts of the house to get over the buzz of the alcohol and the sweet, sweet whisper of bad ideas that would definently get Sarah sacked from the Sheriff’s Department and Vanessa sent to rehab. 

It was just when she was climbing into bed after a hot shower and a nice, cool glass of water that Sarah’s voice called out from downstairs. 

“Nessie, there’s someone at the door for you!” 

Her heart beat fast in her chest in anticipation, hoping to God it was a certain boy with deep-set blue eyes and a smile that worked magic on her heart, _amongst other things_ , but was surprised when she found Allison standing in the threshold, an overnight bag clutched tightly in white fists and terror barely hidden behind a wobbling smile. 

“Sorry, I know it’s late, but I wanted to know if it was okay if I could stay here for the night?” 

There was something behind her friend’s words, something on the edge of fear that travelled along the syllables on her tongue. It made Vanessa furrow her brows in question before she remembered that Sarah was still there, watching them carefully. The brunette on the stairs wiggled her brows suggestively at the dark-haired girl, a winning smile sprawling across her lips as she bounded down to meet her half way. 

“Movie and ice cream?” 

A grateful smile was returned as Allison replied, “I would kill for some chocolate right now.” 

“I think we have some Reese’s in the fridge. I could put them in the ice cream for you girls and carry them up to you in a jiffy,” Sarah offered with soft eyes. 

“Sounds great, Mom,” Vanessa grinned before gesturing for Allison to follow her, turning to her friend to ask softly, “Did you shower before you came here?” 

“Would it be okay if I used yours?” 

There was fear in that question too and Vanessa knew that something had rattled her friend enough that she didn’t think her own shower was safe to use. 

“Of course. I’ll choose a move while you’re in there. Towels in the cupboard and there should be an extra toothbrush in one of the drawers. I’ll take your stuff.” 

Allison sent her a small, wavering smile before making her way into the bathroom while Vanessa headed in the opposite direction to set up the couch for a movie. By the time the dark-haired girl had finished her shower, there were throw ever blankets and pillows on the couch, glasses of milk and bowls of ice cream mixed with Reese’s bars set on the table and three movies picked out. 

“Alrightie,” Vanessa spoke up, getting up from the crouch she was in to make herself comfortable on the couch, “Come here and tell me what’s got you so shaken up.” 

The dark-haired girl made her way over to the couch, immediately pulling her knees up to rest under her chin, arms wrapped tightly around her as she told her friend in a wobbly voice, “He has pictures of me.” 

Vanessa stilled, chills erupting over her body as she slowly turned her head to look at her friend. 

“ _ **What?**_ ” 

“Matt,” Allison stuttered on his name, gasping slightly as a tear slid down her cheek, “He – he has pictures of me.” 

_And when I thought he couldn’t get any lower than orphaning newborns, he just exceeds my expectations._

The brunette gritted her teeth, pieces of gum and lip caught between bone and drawing blood as she asked in a dangerously low voice, “What _**kind**_ of pictures?” 

_Please tell me that it’s not the kind I’m thinking about._

“I – I – “ 

“Allison,” Vanessa stated in a faux calm voice, squeezing her eyes shut as she started to breathe in through her nose and out through her mouth, “Allison, sweetheart, I need you to tell me what kind of pictures he took of you.” 

_You’re not fooling anyone, sister. Calm your tits, Allison needs a friend, not a ticking time bomb about to go off._

“There were - there were some from school and – lacrosse game but then when I – when I skipped through them – “ Allison’s voice grew so quiet that the girl next to her had to strain her ears to hear her when she whispered, “There were pictures of me _in my room. **At home.**_ ” 

_This is not helping the ticking time bomb. Picture calming things. Painting. Songbirds. Driving a pen through Matt’s major arteries._

“Allie, what did he take pictures of you doing?” 

_Oh, please tell me that these aren’t the kind of pictures that will traumatize you._

“Just sitting at my desk or in my bed but,” the girl let out a shuddering breathe as she turned to her friend with glassy, fearful eyes as she asked, “He said there were more…. _ **candid**_ pictures on his laptop and I – I don’t know – if - if it’s just more of me doing stuff in my room or more – more doing _private_ stuff – “ 

_Candid has a double meaning. And if Matt was the slimy sonofabitch that I now know he is, he probably meant what I think he meant. Prison looks to be in my future after all._

The girl broke down by the end of her sentence, turning into Vanessa’s arms, that were already wide open for her distressed friend. Her hands rubbed small circles into her back, patting down her mass of dark ringlets while making soothing sounds from her throat. 

“Whatever he has on your laptop, Allie, we’ll find out. We’ll get them back and we’ll make sure he never goes anywhere near you ever again – _**with or without a camera**_ ,” Vanessa promised, eyes hardening as revenge schemes were concocted in her head. 

_I’m gonna make sure that motherfucking creeper gets his fucking due. I swear it. But for now, I gotta take care of my friend._

“You can stay here as long as you like until you feel comfortable enough to return home.” 

She heard her friend sniff against her shoulder and tightened her hold on her shaking body, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head when her friend murmured softly back, “Thank you.” 

“What are friends for?” Vanessa smiled sadly before turning to the TV and asking, “Now, tell me, are we in the mood for Megamind or Alice in Wonderland.” 

“I feel like we’ve both been Alice in Wonderland for a while now,” Allison laughed humorlessly through tears, shooting her a dry smile as she asked, “Don’t you agree?” 

“Truer words have never been spoken.” 

\- 

Somewhere in Beacon Hills, Victoria Argent was rousing from the strong dose of ketamine that was injected into her, head heavy and pounding as it raised itself up so she could inspect her surrounds through blurry eyes. What she awoke to sent shivers down her spine as awareness gripped her firmly in it’s tight, unyielding grasp. 

Ropes bound her wrist and ankles, a gag stuck between her teeth. Hard bark dug into her back, sticks and leaves prodding her flesh through the thin material of her dress. One of her shoes was missing. Her knife too. 

All her years of training kicked in, her mind rifling through different techniques and methods to get herself out of her bindings. She was the fastest in her family, with a record of thirty minutes. That was all due to her cunning and her resourcefulness. She had started to rub at the roping with her long, sharp nails when the sound of footsteps crunching on leaves drew her attention, body stiffening in preparation and in the sudden knowledge that she wasn’t alone. 

Her eyes squinted at her surroundings, trees upon miles of trees surrounding her from all sides. It was dark, so she must not have been unconscious for very long. She didn’t remember much, only flashes of her driving her knife into Derek Hale’s back before she was engulfed in darkness. She didn’t remember how she escaped the two wolves but she had a feeling she was going to find out. 

Victoria folded her legs underneath her as best as she could, getting up into a crouch as her head whipped around. That was, until a heavy and unforgiving hand pushed her forward. Her face hit the dirt, eyes shutting to defend the vulnerable orbs from being stuck by the protruding sticks and other sharp objects that would wreck one of her most important senses she possessed. Rolling onto her back, she prepared herself to meet the face of her foe. 

She wondered who would have the nerve to kidnap _her_. To use _her_ as _**leverage**_. Which one of those foul, mindless beasts dared tried to masquerade as anything close to her intelligence?! 

It soon became apparent to her that was not the case. 

Staring up into the cold, calculating eyes of a man she had known since she was a small girl, she questioned everything. Their code, their way of life, their teachings about the values of loyalty. The man towering above her with a faux gentle smile betrayed everything he had taught her. And it set her blood on fire. 

“My dear Victoria,” Gerard murmured down at her, crouching at the knee to brush the hair from her face with a gentleness that was so at odds to the cruel curl of his lips, “You have surprised me.” 

His eyes darted up to something or someone beyond her view, head nodding firmly before he backed away. Two hands grabbed her roughly by the arms, dragging her backwards and shoving her hard against the tree she had woken up against, all the while Gerard watched with a calm smile. 

“You see,” her father in law began as he came closer, “When I whispered the idea for you to use this opportunity to kill Scott McCall once and for all, I did not anticipate you surviving. At least, not unscathed.” Victoria sunk her teeth into the gag, hoping to wear it down enough so she could spit the cloth out to scream, her nails furiously at work at the binds that held her wrist together while Gerard circled her. 

“You see, Scott McCall is a fascinating character. Not because he has survived so long without a pack, but because he has learned to make his own.” 

The red headed woman stopped in her attempts to escape, whipping her head up at the older man to give him a withering glare as he chuckled darkly. 

“It was a shock to me too, dear. But this boy, this _creature_ , has learned to wield the loyalty of the friendships he made before he was bitten into something more. He commands a pack, and I think our dear Allison might be a part of it.” 

Victoria seethed at this, spit dribbling down her chin as she surged against the bindings that held her from the man who mocked her. Her daughter would **never** have a part of this, this _**disgusting**_ scheme of his. She would rather send Allison halfway across the world then have her used as a **tool** by this devil of a man, to _parade_ around amongst the deadly creatures who’s control could snap at any moment with just a word. She would not, _**could not**_ , let this happen. 

“Worry not. She will be safe,” Gerard reassured her, although his eyes told a different story, “I will take her under my wing, as _you_ wanted. Bring her under my tutelage, as I did you. She won’t disappoint me, like you have, Victoria. I know you taught her better than that.” 

_No, no, no, no._

Her nails dug into the roping, teeth chomping at the gag with no effect. Tears streamed down her face at the thought of Allison, her baby girl, being under the control of this monster. She was a fool. A fool too blind to see this influence, this dark manic influence that would drive their family into damnation. She would not, **COULD NOT** , let this happen! 

“I helped craft your will,” her father-in-law told her, weathered hands reaching inside the pockets of his thick jacket and pulling out the a neat, folded piece of paper that he unfolded to reveal her signature, “I took the liberty of consenting on your behalf. In your pen, of course. The family back in France will demand that your will be recognized officially as that of _your **will**_.” 

_You bastard!_

He was going to get away with everything. Her death, her daughter, her final say – the say all hunters are allowed in the case of their untimely death in service to their cause. He was going to take it all and nobody, _not **one** fucking person_, would suspect a thing. 

_That bastard!_

Her shoulders pushed at the hard stump of the tree behind her, forcing herself up and onto her feet. She would not go down. She would not die on the ground like one of those dogs. She would die standing, fighting if she had to. She would die looking into this man’s eyes, so he knew that when he killed her, he’d be spilling the blood of his family. 

Gerard wasn’t fazed as she pushed herself up, holding up a hand to halt the men standing behind her as he watched in amusement. Her legs tingled with pins and needles, numb in one foot that only allowed her to stand due to the support of the tree she leaned against. 

The old man approached her, stopping only a few feet away with his hands at it his side as he told her, “After your _untimely_ demise at the hands of _the Alpha_ , Derek Hale, Allison Argent will take over as the new matriarch of the Argent family. Her teachings will be taken over by her grandfather, who will also act as the de facto leader until Allison’s training is completed to _his_ satisfaction. Your last command is to your daughter, may she find the strength and steel to do what must be done so that your death shall be the last _casualty_ in the war between our family and the beasts we hunt.” 

Victoria shook with barely restrained rage as Gerard pushed her back down, knees hitting the forest floor hard but she didn’t flinch, instead turning her glare onto the man standing above her. She would not look away. She would not let him see her bowed. She was the matriarch of this goddamn family for God’s sake, and she would not be bowed, least of all to him! 

Gerard whistled, beckoning behind him. Heavy panting erupted from behind her, the soft pitter patter of steps too quiet to be that of a human’s until two shadows appeared on either side of the older man. Victoria’s jaw went slack when she realized his plan, eyes staring at the creatures in accusation. 

He wouldn’t **dare** dishonor her like this. 

He wouldn’t _fucking_ **dare**. 

“For all the pride we have in the loyalty of our family, in our cause, it cannot be denied that there is some examples of loyalty most admirable. Even in the creatures we hunt, their loyalty to their pack is such a fascinating aspect of their curse that it almost makes them believe that it is a gift to become the beast they are.” 

Gerard’s hands ran through the dark fur of the hounds at his side, their jaws opened as they stared at the woman before them in hunger. Saliva dripped between their fangs, down their snout and wetting her face when she breathed. The smell disgusted her to no end. _The whole thing_ disgusted her to no end. 

This was how she was going to die. At the jaws of dogs. Not werewolves, **_dogs_**. Mundane creatures that had no stake, no claim, no significance in the war she had been fighting most of her life. This was not how she was supposed to die but _he_ would have her end this way! 

“It is amazing how such gentle creatures will heed a simple command. That’s all it takes, one simple command and they will turn on whoever _I_ will it,” Gerard murmured in awe before he pulled back his hands from the hounds, stepping a few paces back before turning to look at her, seemingly in pity as he shook his head, “Such a waste. Such a shame. You were a wonderful hunter, Victoria. I wish it didn’t have to be this way, my dear but as you know, our cause is worth dying for.” 

_No, not **this** cause, you bastard.<.em> _

__

_Not **your** cause._

__

_**Never** your cause._

__

“I’ll give Allison your love. I’ll take care of Christopher. _I’ll_ be the strength you **_failed_** to be.” 

__

_Not my daughter._

__

_Not my Chris, he would never believe I failed like this._

__

_He wouldn’t, he knows better, he knows me._

__

“Your sacrifice is commended.” 

__

_I love you both._

__

_Stay strong._

__

_Fight this man with your every being but **don’t let him ruin us**._

__

“ _Fass!_ ” 

__

The command rang loudly, and Victoria knew it was over. She craned her head to the night sky, the moon hovering over her in a silver sheen. It was beautiful and it reminded her of her daughter. As the hounds lunged for her, she wondered if her daughter would truly bend to Gerard’s will. If she was truly as weak-willed as Gerard made her out to be. 

__

_Not **my** daughter. She has my blood, my bone and my spine. She has my tongue, my chin and my heart. She has my mind, my cheek, my strength. And she will prevail over him. For she is just as much as a Dufort as she is an Argent, and by **God** will she stand **strong.**_

__

Her last thoughts were of the daughter her and her husband made together when the hound’s jaws tore into her throat. 

__

_She **will** stand strong._

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes, the warning was about Allison. As a female, I feel like the writers didn't give justice to how fucking scary that situation is when a guy has violated our privacy and the safety we feel at homes by doing something as despicable as taking photos of us. At school is one thing, but at home is entirely fucking different. It's not beautiful, not romantic. It's creepy, it's scary and it is traumatic. Not to mention very fucking illegal. Now Allison is a badass, both in canon and in my fic, but I feel like people have very different definitions of what being a badass means. People thinks being a badass means killing and kicking ass, strength and sex appeal and not giving a fuck but it isn't. Being a badass is being strong by letting yourself be weak, by being scared, by showing it but at the end of the day, continuing to live on and fight. Being a badass is smiling through the bullshit you have to put up with and breaking down after. It's about being there for your friends and being loyal even if it means going against your family - because it's the right thing to do. Allison is all of those and more and for the next few chapters, this will be about her. Because I feel as if you guys don't think I've portrayed the character as being a badass in every way the name applies.


	28. Hey Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Thank you.” 
> 
> Instead, the girl smiled wider, a lone finger stroking down his knuckles as she purred, “Have a nice day, _Handsome_.” 
> 
> _Oh fuck._
> 
> “I’m sorry, what did you just call him?” 
> 
> _Oh shit fuck fuck fuck fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- The chapter title is the same title as the song by Gin Blossoms "Hey Jealousy."  
> \- Sorry that I haven't uploaded. I've been focusing on writing more chapters so that I wasn't constantly struggling to catch up but I could resist! Hope you enjoy and, as always, a reminder that feedback, criticism and suggestions are always welcomed and deeply appreciated.

_**“Kara Simmons, 24, was found dead late last night, the latest victim of the serial killings occurring in Beacon Hills. Simmons was managing a rave in the Warehouse District when she was murdered, throat reportedly slashed – “**_

The TV shut off, the fake smile of the TV anchor at odds with the news she was reporting flashing briefly before the screen went black. Allison and Vanessa sat back against the couch; eyes hooded with guilt. The burden on Allison’s shoulders was heavy, the strain in the girl’s facial muscles noticeable to the brunette sitting beside her. Vanessa thought, in that moment and in that moment only, that Allison looked a lot like her mother. 

Dark eyes flared wide, jaw clenched and shaking as if she was one word away from erupting. Vanessa was glad she had turned the TV off when she did. She had witnessed minsicule spurts of anger from Allison before. It was frightening then, and it was frightening watching her at the brink of eruption now. 

_I never saw it before but she does look like her mother. And here I was thinking she only inherited Chris’ genetics._

Vanessa gingerly slid her hand over Allison’s, slightly fearful that the girl would shuck it off. She sighed in relief when instead, the dark haired girl merely turned her own hand over and intwined their fingers, hands ajoined to receive the silent comfort the short brunette was offering. She didn’t know how long they sat like that for, their ice coffees forgotten on the glass table in front of them as they stared vacantly at the television screen. 

It was like a minute of silence for Kara, a silence that stretched past it’s due by date and became a minute of heavy burden rather than remembrance. But what would they remember her for, other than being one more person they failed? 

_I wonder how Isaac is dealing right now. Out of all of us, he was the only one with a real connection to her._

They had never felt like this before. Kara Simmons’ death was different to the rest of them. For one, the others had been some of the first. They were acceptable in some horrible way. Guilt didn’t surround their corpses like it did Kara’s. To Vanessa, those first deaths were like trial runs. It was disturbing, she knew, to lack empathy in the deaths of people but it was true. They were merely clues that would eventually lead them to information. Steppingstones in their investigation. Collateral in the goal of finding the perpotrater. 

_God, I sound like fucking Peter Hale._

Kara’s death was like a rude awakening. That the body count was getting higher, higher than their usual list of victims. It was wrong to think of it like that. That it would be this point in time that she should start thinking that it was a lot of dead people on their hands. Hell, the first victim should have been a lot. But then again, the first victim – _if we are being technical_ – was Laura Hale. 

It always came back to the Hales. 

They were a catalyst for everything that had happened thus far. And while she didn’t blame them, didn’t blame _Derek_ , for anything that happened, it couldn’t be denied that their circumstances were partially responsible for the deep shit they were in now. 

_You brought this on yourself, you know. Derek might have been a gateway, but you went through willingly._

Vanessa was a hypocrite. A silent hypocrite that would stay silent because she knew that she was just as guilty as the rest of them. But alas, it was human nature to put the blame on someone else. It was a coping mechanism, used to keep yourself from going under the crippling guilt that threatened to hinder you with every step you took. 

This was reassuring, in a grim and ironic sort of way. She was still human. And she was still coping. 

That was something...…. _Right?_

“God, it stinks of depression in here,” a voice echoed throughout the house, snapping the two girls out of their thoughts. 

Allison and Vanessa whipped around in their seats, looking over the couch to watch as Erica, Isaac and Boyd made their way into the living room. The blonde girl towered over them with her hands on her hips, brown eyes glittering down knowingly, sympathy lurking in their depths. 

“Come on,” Erica jerked her head at them, gesturing for them to get up, “Get dressed. How’re you still in your pajamas? It’s going onto ten!” 

“It’s the weekend,” Allison pointed out, eyeing the two boys behind the blonde nervously as she lifted the throw over blanket to cover herself. 

Vanessa didn’t have the same concerns, unashamedly getting up to stretch. She caught sight of Isaac staring at the bare flesh that peeked out when her nightshirt rode up, the brunette winking at him when his heated eyes rose to meet hers. He had _gall_ to wink back at her, in front of their friends, like it wouldn’t affect her? Not in her house, not in her fucking house. 

“And where, oh where, do you think you’re taking us?” she asked, tearing her eyes away from her smirking boyfriend to her smirking best friend. 

The blonde shrugged her shoulders, but her eyes were mischievous as she drawled, “I seem to remember a certain _someone_ asking Derek if he could give us money to pay for a shopping trip?” 

“And you picked _today_ to do it?” Vanessa winced, rubbing at her neck to soften the stiffness that was left over from sleep. 

“Like Allie said,” Erica began, leaning on the back of the couch beside the dark-haired girl in question, “It’s the weekend.” 

Vanessa’s eyes darted from Erica to Allison, the latter’s eyes drifting back to the television as if questioning if she really deserved the privilege of being anything less than guilty, let alone the privilege of having fun on a shopping trip. It made the brunette angry beyond fucking reason. 

They were kids, for fucks sake! They were supposed to be going out, having a good time! 

“Alright,” Vanessa nodded in agreement, a slight smile sliding onto her face, “Give us fifteen minutes.” 

Erica smirked at her knowingly, “I know you can make it ten.” 

\- 

“Is it really necessary for Isaac to have that many leather jackets, Nessa?” Allison whispered as the girl in question plucked another black article of clothing off the rack, “He’s got, what? – three already?” 

“You’re right,” Vanessa sighed dejectedly, putting the clothes back on the rack before turning to the lighter sweaters and cardigans on the other side of the aisle with a cheeky grin on her face, “Summer’s almost here so that means jackets will have to take a break for the time being. What about this one?” 

The brunette turned the two teenagers behind her, holding out a soft grey sweater with a hopeful smile. 

Allison shook her head at her friend while Isaac, whose arms were stacked with shirts, sweaters, jeans and sportswear, just gave his girlfriend a hesitant nod before drawling, “Just add it to the pile, love. Just add it to the pile.” 

Vanessa beamed, doing as she was urged before turning to see how Erica and Boyd were holding up. The couple in question were on the far side of the store, Erica holding up some vintage t-shirt from the girl’s section and throwing her head back laughing before laying it over her arm and continuing on her browsing. The boy behind her merely smiled in adoration, brown eyes shining as they trailed after her. The blonde girl had helped him picked out most of the stuff in his trolley, more trendy and tight designs than the baggy sweatshirts and pants he usually favored. Boyd had his own leather jacket draped over his arm, along with a Beacon Hills sweatshirt with his own number on it from the sports merch shop. Since the Lacrosse team won States, Beacon Hills Shopping Mall had invested in selling the merch of their local sports team. Which meant that the players and their families could buy sweatshirts and merch with their favorite players number and last name on it to wear at the games. 

_What? We’re a small town in America? You really think we're **not** going to go overboard when it came to sport?_

In true Vanessa fashion, she snuck Erica and Allison away earlier to get their own sweatshirts. Vanessa was keeping Scott’s “11” for Allison, alongside Stiles’ “24”. She kept the last jersey, her very own Lahey “14”, for herself. She now smiled mischievously as they wandered around the mall, practically vibrating with excitement as she imagined wearing the jersey at his next game in three weeks’ time. It would be the Championship games and Vanessa was secretly hoping that they would have all this shit sorted with the hunters and the kanima in time for her boyfriend and best friends to actually enjoy one of their wins for once. And that she would actually make it through a whole game without having to rush off to complete some sub-mission for Derek or something like that. 

“Vanessa?” 

“Nessa?” 

“Hey, Nessa!” 

She snapped out of her little daydream, turning abruptly to where Isaac and Allison were standing with matching looks of soft puzzlement on their faces as they started back at her. 

“Sorry, were you saying something?” 

They both laughed a little at that before Allison repeated, “We wanted to know if we can take a break from shopping for a bit and get a bite to eat?” 

“But we haven’t even bought shoes yet!” she argued with a pout. 

Isaac, who had already brought the $200 worth of clothes and now had them in a bag held in one hand, brought his other to snatch up his girlfriend’s, twirling her around with an amused smile before leading her out of the shop. 

“I think we can afford to get some food, beautiful. The shop isn’t going anywhere. Besides, you wouldn’t pass up McDonalds, would you?” 

Vanessa narrowed her eyes at him before grinning, “You know me too well.” 

“And I intend to use my knowledge for evil. Are you complaining?” 

“Not if I get food. Let’s go!” 

Allison shook her head as her friend skipped up to Erica and Boyd and told them their plans, the dark haired girl leaning in to whisper to the taller boy beside her with a small smile, “How did you do that?” 

Isaac merely shrugged with a mischievous smile of his own as he told her, “I speak her language. _Very_ fluently.” 

Throwing her head back laughing at the suggestive tone, she replied, “Okay, thank you for that. Too much information there.” 

“Hey, you asked.” 

“And now I regret. Let’s go before she skips all the way there and orders everything on the menu.” 

“Shit, she’s got Derek’s card, doesn’t she?” 

“Because you handed it over to her? Yep.” 

“Shit.” 

\- 

Fortunately for Isaac, they all managed to catch up to the girl just as she entered the line in front of McDonalds, the group immediately joining her with a raised eyebrow as she defensively rose her hands up, insisting, “I was going to wait for you.” 

“That was so not what we were worried about, Ness,” Erica snorted as she plucked the card out of her hands, grinning mercilessly when the brunette tried to lunge for it before passing it to Boyd, who panicked at the hungry look the short girl shot him and quickly passed it off to Allison, who laughed lightly before holding it up for Isaac to take. 

Vanessa stormed up to her boyfriend, giving his height a once over before stepping back a bit as if to physically jump him before his eyes softened, passing her the card, and pressing a kiss to her forehead. The brunette beamed up at him before turning back to the line, jumping on the spot in excitement while everybody else rolled their eyes at the tall boy looking after her with pure adoration. 

“FYI, guys, if you ever play piggy in the middle with me again, I _will_ cut you,” Vanessa told them, turning around to face them with a sickeningly sweet smile as she emphasized, “With a _**big**_ fucking knife.” 

Isaac leaned forward slightly at that, whispering in the girl’s ear, “But not me, right? I gave you the card back!” 

She lifted up her hand to pat him softly on the cheek with a small smile as she whispered back, “Of course not. You’re the only one I can trust – everyone else are lying miscreants.” 

“I’m hurt, so hurt,” Erica cried out dramatically with one hand over her face and the other clasped over her heart. 

“Um, are you guys ready to order - ?” asked a voice from behind them. 

The group turned to find the McDonalds employee waiting expectantly at the register for them to order, picking at her nails in boredom as she glanced at them under hooded eyelids. At least, that was the stance she seemed to take until she caught sight of Isaac, standing behind them all. Then she was suddenly all coy smirks and fluttery lashes and ‘how can I help you today?’ 

Vanessa’s eyes darted from the girl to the boy behind her several times before it clicked. And she did not like the clicking of the click nor what clicked in the click. She didn’t fucking like it. Like, _at all_. 

“Yeah, we were just waiting for better service – “ 

“Um, no, if you would just give us a second to figure it out, that would be appreciated,” Allison interrupted with a polite smile before turning back to the group, but not before sending a warning look at Vanessa when the girl started to raise her hand in a suspicious gesture. 

“What? I was just going to wave at her!” 

“That’s what it looked like but I wasn’t sure,” the dark haired girl replied sarcastically, shaking her head and looking at the others with an expectant raise of her eyebrow as she asked, “What’s everyone having?” 

After everybody put in their orders, Allison nodded and told them, “Okay, Erica and Boyd can get us a table while we wait around for the food.” 

“Why do we all have to wait around?” Isaac asked her after the other two left to sit down. 

“Because it’s gonna take two people to stop Vanessa from committing murder!” she whispered back at him. 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Are you blind? That chick behind the counter was totally checking you out?” 

“ _Really?_ ” Isaac asked, raising an eyebrow as a cocky grin lit up his face. 

The dark haired girl nudged him in the ribs before chastising him, “Wipe that smirk off your face. It’s not a good thing. Your girlfriend will actually _**murder**_ someone for looking at you.” 

“I know. Isn’t it great?” 

Allison rolled her eyes, turning to comment to Vanessa about how her boyfriend had his priorities all messed up but found only empty space beside her. Whipping her head around, she found her friend had already waltzed up to the counter and was putting in their orders with faux nonchalance, only identifiable by the tension in her shoulders and the way her teeth were bared menacingly when she smiled at the girl serving her. As she was paying, she sent a reassuring smile over her shoulder at her boyfriend and friend. It didn’t have the intended effect, both of them immediately sharing a concerned glance before joining her at the other end of the counter to wait for their meals to be prepared. 

“Everything okay?” Isaac asked her gently, wrapping his arms around her waist in an attempt to calm her down before Mount Vanessa erupted. 

“Everything is just _fine_ ,” Vanessa scoffed, waving it off as her piercing stare levelled on the girl watching them from the register. 

Or more specifically, watching _Isaac_. 

“Fucking spectacular.” 

_Was that a wink? Did she just –_

“Super.” 

_That **was** a fucking a wink! The audacity –_

“Fucking.” 

_Murder equals prison. Prison equals bitch. I’m not built for being a prison bitch._

“ _ **Spectacular**_.” 

Allison shook her head from beside her, muttering, “Yeah, ‘cause _that_ was convincing.” 

Isaac gulped nervously, tightening his hold on his tiny, murderous girlfriend in the hopes that she would find the merit in staying in his arms rather than going and killing some Maccas chick who wasn’t even a blimp on his radar. Vanessa, on the other hand, was his radar. Like, the whole, entire module in one small, fiery package. 

Meanwhile, the said small, fiery package, continued her silent death stares the whole time they were waiting for their food, possessively gripping his arm. She brought her body flush into his side, nuzzling her face against his shoulder without breaking eye contact from the girl. 

“As much as I love whatever the hell is going on right now,” Isaac began, twirling a light brown curl around one finger before tucking it behind her ear, “I think they just finished up on our meals.” 

They watched as the girl at the register switched with another employee, walking over to grab their meals personally before turning to slide the tray over to them, winking at Isaac when approached. The boy did his best not to make eye contact, afraid that even the slightest acknowledgement would encourage the girl further. He reached forward to grab the tray, but the girl merely slid her hands over his. 

Panicking slightly with every second she didn’t let go, Isaac tried to hide the interaction from the girls behind him by moving back a bit, muttering quietly with the hopes it would make the girl back off. 

“Thank you.” 

Instead, the girl smiled wider, a lone finger stroking down his knuckles as she purred, “Have a nice day, _Handsome_.” 

_Oh fuck._

“I’m sorry, what did you just call him?” 

_Oh shit fuck fuck fuck fuck._

A mass of brown curls appeared beside him, a delicate hand ripping off the one groping his and tearing the tray from the girl’s grasp as Vanessa sneered, “Thank you for your _service_. You might want to get back to your job. The line is looking pretty long, so you might want to open another register.” 

She than turned to Isaac and asked him with a smile too tight to be truly genuine, “Babe, you and Allie can go ahead with the food. I’m gonna get us some straws.” 

Isaac, sensing that something illegal was about to go down, merely nodded and turned to walk away with their tray alongside Allison, who shot a warning look back at the brunette. And it was a hell of a look too, would have been a killer - if Vanessa had been facing her to see it. Instead, she had already turned to lean over the counter to whisper menacingly at the girl blinking down at her in disbelief. 

“Touch his arm – or the arm of any of your customers again – and I will _break_ those pretty little fingers of yours, _one at a fucking time_. Than the only think you will be able to stroke is that fragile little ego that thinks that it’s perfectly fine to not only flirt but to physically make a move on another girl’s boyfriend. Here’s a tip. Put it to better sense.” 

Sliding a five dollar note over the counter, the brunette picked up a few straws before heading to the table the group had picked out. All of them had turned around to watch the exchange with big, round eyes that stared at her in disbelief as she took a seat next to Isaac and started handing out straws. They were all silent as the brunette pawed through the bag, snatching up the meal she designated as her own before digging in. 

Allison was the first one to break the silence as she leaned over to whisper, “Did you just _tip_ her?” 

Vanessa hummed that she had, which prompted the dark-haired girl to ask, “Why the _hell_ would you do that?” 

Swallowing the first bite of her Big Mac, the brunette dabbed at the corner of her lips primly before explaining, “To remind her that she was an employee. And that she was not only being extremely unprofessional but also very fucking sleazy. What she did was not classy. Maybe I should sic Lydia on her. God knows, the girl could teach her a thing or two about class.” 

“Um, did you forget that Lydia hooked up with Scott? In Coach’s office?” 

“Yeah, but she grew out of that.” 

“It was last month!” 

“And we’re all friends now.” 

“Maybe we can make friends with – “ 

“Who’s Rachel?” Boyd spoke up suddenly, all heads whipping his way to watch him frown at the piece of paper in his hand, “And why is her number in my fries?” 

Erica and Allison rushed to get to the paper first but it was in vain. Vanessa had already snatched it out of the boy’s hand, inspecting it with a keen, calculating eye before shoving it into the side of her pocket and continuing her meal. The rest of them exchanged uneasy glances before returning their attention to their own meal, but they couldn’t help their eyes wandering to check on the girl a few times throughout the meal. The said girl was smiling around her burger, eyes holding secrets and schemes that none of them were aware of. But she was, she was sitting there amongst the wolves that had no idea she was a fox. But they would, and when they would, she hoped they would still accept her into their pack. 

Even after she turned to less than unsavory methods to warn people off of her those she considered hers. 

_I’d like to think they would do the same for me._

_But then again, therapy has been long overdue._

\- 

“Why?” 

“You know why!” 

“No, you _told_ me, but I still don’t _get_ why.” 

“Isaac,” Erica sighed, flipping her blonde curls over her shoulder before settling her hand on her waist, “Just accept the fact that you can’t sleep with your girlfriend tonight. Me and Allison are staying over which means that it’s a _girls only_ sleepover.” 

“Why can’t I just crash on the couch downstairs!?” 

Vanessa shook her head at him with a small, amused smile as she slid her hands up his chest to link around his neck, leaning in so her nose brushed against his as she whispered, “How about you come stay over _tomorrow_ night?” 

Isaac’s lips quirked up at that and she thought that she _might_ have convinced him until he whispered back, “Why can’t I sleep over _tonight_?” 

_Cheeky mother –_

“How about I make tomorrow night _really **special**_ to make up for not staying over tonight?” she suggested with a slight wiggle to her eyebrows, smirking in victory when his eyes flashed gold at the implications behind her proposition. 

“Depends what kind of _special_ things you have in mind – “ 

“ _OH MY GOD_ , **WE’RE RIGHT HERE!** ” Erica exclaimed, throwing her hands up to slam over her ears as she stared up at the ceiling in disgust, “Be fucking considerate to who's listening to your conversation, please!” 

The boy tilted his head at his pack mate to shoot her a dry look as he remarked, “Than don’t listen in on other people’s conversations, Erica, and you won’t hear stuff you don’t want to hear.” 

“Um, did you forget that we have enhanced hearing? I’d be able to hear you even if I was on the other side of town!” 

Vanessa scoffed at that, shaking her head at the blonde as she stated, “That’s a slight over-exaggeration, don’t you think?” 

“No, I can _literally_ hear things from across the town.” 

“Well…..that’s both fucking cool and fucking uncomfortable.” 

“Don’t worry, I don’t eavesdrop on your little sex – “ 

The couple jerked back, rushing to stop her before she burst out about anything related to the S-EX-X. Erica raised an eyebrow at their blushing cheeks and wide eyes before pointing out, “You were literally dropping innuendos for a whole minute before and you suddenly get all uppity when I say the s – word?” 

“The thing was we were subtle when talking about the topic. You just straight up blurted it out!” 

“Because I’m not chicken shit, Isaac!” 

“It’s not being chicken shit; it’s called being charming.” 

“Oh no you didn’t – “ 

Boyd intervened before the she-wolf could rip her male packmate a new one, maneuvering his body between the two and holding his hands out in a calming gesture as he murmured soothingly, “Don’t mind him. He’s just cranky he’s not spending the night with his girl. And he'll be leaving in just few minutes – _won’t you_ , man?” 

Isaac, who was caught between fear and amusement, struggled with expressing them both as he nodded hurriedly, turning back to the short brunette in his arms to press a firm kiss to her hairline, eyes gazing down at her softly before he pulled back to mutter, “I expect you to uphold your promise.” 

“Don’t I always?” Vanessa breathed out against his neck with a mischievous smile before getting onto her tippy toes to lay a soft kiss onto his lips, small hands cupping his cheeks as she whispered, “Until tomorrow, handsome.” 

“Good night, Beautiful.” 

“Get home safely!” she called out when they walked outside to wave them off, standing at the top of the driveway to watch as the boys headed off down the darkened street. 

After waiting a good few minutes, Vanessa spun on her heel to face the two girls who had joined her, the light from inside glinting off the wicked smile that appeared on her lips as she sighed in relief. 

“ _Phew!_ I thought they would never leave!” 

The brunette chuckled at their stupefied looks, strutting inside and pulling out the piece of paper from her back pocket, phone already in hand. Allison was the one who realized first, darting forward in an attempt to snatch the phone out of her friend’s hands before she could dial the number but it was too late. 

With nimble fingers, the dial tone rang out loudly as Vanessa put the phone on speaker, smirking to herself as she waited for her call to be answered. And unfortunately for that poor, poor McDonalds employee, she did not disappoint. 

“Hello?” 

“Hello, is this _Rachel_?” 

“Yes, it is. Who’re you and why do you have my number?” 

“Well, what did you expect would happen when you put it into our meal today?” Vanessa snarked, shaking her head at the phone and gesturing to the two girls standing across from her as if to say ‘ _can you believe this shit?_ ’, “Next time, _**listen**_ when someone threatens to break your arms. You’re lucky I’m not going to the police with claims of sexual harassment. Have a goodnight!” 

With that, she hung up, turning to her two friends with a very self-satisfied look on her face as she declared, “Now that _that_ problem’s been dealt with, we can move on to our second mission!” 

“I really had high hopes that, for just this once, we could be normal teenage girls and just stay in, make some popcorn and watch some rom-com where the guy isn’t a werewolf or the girl isn’t a hunter but I guess that was too good to be true,” Allison muttered as she sat herself down on the kitchen stool, placing her chin in her hand as she waited for Vanessa to get on with telling them what was on the agenda for tonight. 

“Worry not, my friend,” Vanessa reassured her in a tone that was anything but reassuring, “All in good time. The night is still young and to my information, _**plentiful**_.” 

Erica crossed her arms over her chest, her attempt at looking serious ruined by the slight bounce in her heel and the excitement in her eyes as she asked, “What’s going down tonight?” 

“Tonight, we’re gonna get something back from someone who doesn’t deserve to see the next sunrise,” the brunette announced dramatically, blue eyes lifting up to meet the dark eyes of the dark haired girl knowingly as she continued, “He’ll get his but tonight, tonight we’ll get ours.” 

Allison gasped out loud as she rushed to protest, “No, no – let’s just ignore it – I was overreacting – “ 

“Allie,” Vanessa cut in firmly, sending her a very fierce look as she told her, “That creep took pictures of you – _doing God knows what_ – in the safety and comfort of your home. I am _**not**_ letting him get away with it. Or those picture. They will be returned to you by tonight.” 

“You don’t have to – what if – what if we get caught - ?” 

She was interrupted as her friend snatched up her hand, along with her attention as she whipped her head up to meet Vanessa’s bright, blue eyed gaze. Those eyes that were unfaltering in their determination, and only softened by the release of tension in her jaw and brows as she considered the dark-haired girl before her. Allison had been betrayed; her sense of home violated in a way that sickened them both to the depths of their stomachs. 

They were gonna take that feeling of safety back with their bare fucking hands if they have to. 

“ _If_ we get caught, we will show them what we were breaking and entering to get. If we go down, we’re dragging that motherfucking bitch ass down with us. But here’s the thing, Allie. We might go down, but we won’t stay like that long. Sarah will bail us out, Chief will back us up – even if he isn’t the Sheriff, he’ll do it.” 

Vanessa pulled Allison in for a tight hug, whispering in her ear, “If you don’t want to do it, I’ll understand. You can stay here and me and Erica can get it for you – “ 

“ **No**.” 

Allison pulled back fiercely, with a strong jut of her jaw and determination in her eyes as she repeated, “No. If you’re going, I’m going. You’re right.” 

The dark-haired girl took a deep breathe in before muttering under her breathe, “If we go down, we won’t stay like that for long.” 

“Ex- _fucking_ -actly!” Erica whooped, slinging an arm around each of the girl’s shoulders before exclaiming, “Let’s get busy with it! But first, can someone catch me up?"


	29. The Big Picture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Let’s go over the plan again.”
> 
> “We went over it, like, a dozen times.”
> 
> “And we’ll go over it _another fucking dozen_ if I even _**suspect**_ you weren’t listening."
> 
> “What’s there to listen to? Get in, get out, don’t get caught? Simple,” Erica shrugged nochantly, sitting back against the leather seats of the silver Ford with her arms crossed over her chest.
> 
> “ _That_ , that comment is the reason why I’m going over this for the _thirteenth_ time,” Vanessa responded, pointing an accusing finger at the blonde from the front seat of her car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Hey everyone! I know everybody has been looking forward to seeing what Vanessa has in store for them and here it is! Hope you enjoy this chapter and just wanted to remind everybody that feedback. criticism and suggestions are welcomed and dearly appreciated, so leave a comment if you have an questions and I will do my best to answer them!  
> \- **TRIGGER WARNING** : There is implied/ referenced **sexual assault** and **harassment** in this chapter as well as implied/ referenced **child pornography** since all the teenagers in this are minors and any photos taken without consent that is of a sexual nature is classified as child pornography. My deepest apologies if this is a sensitive or triggering topic for any readers and if you wish to skip this chapter and the relevant chapters that discuss this, it is my obligation to inform you these themes are present in the next 3-4 chapters. The characters this concerns don't explicitly experience it or recall experiencing it but they do discuss how it effects them and it is mentioned by several of the characters. If you wish to know why I chose to choose this as a mini arc than please read the notes at the end.

“Let’s go over the plan again.” 

“We went over it, like, a dozen times.” 

“And we’ll go over it _another fucking dozen_ if I even _**suspect**_ you weren’t listening." 

“What’s there to listen to? Get in, get out, don’t get caught? Simple,” Erica shrugged nochantly, sitting back against the leather seats of the silver Ford with her arms crossed over her chest. 

“ _That_ , that comment is the reason why I’m going over this for the _thirteenth_ time,” Vanessa responded, pointing an accusing finger at the blonde from the front seat of her car. When the dark haired girl in the passenger seat beside her let out a groan, she sent her a raised eyebrow as she drawled, “Wanna say something, Allie?” 

“Yeah, can we please get this over and done with? We have no clue where he went or when he’ll be back and I don’t particularly wanna find out.” 

Vanessa’s eyes softened slightly as she sighed, shaking her head in defeat as she jerked her head at the house they were parked beside as she declared, “Alright. Get in, get out, if you’re caught – take that motherfucker down with you.” 

With that, she opened the door and hopped out into the cool, spring breeze, shutting the door in Erica’s ‘isn’t that what I just said?’ face and turning to Allison who joined her on her side of the car as they stared up at Matt Daelher’s house. The lights were off, no cars sat in the driveway – which was the universal sign that nobody was fucking home. Unless, of course, they didn’t own a car and they were asleep like every other normal citizen of the town. Her plan kind of hindered on the hope that Matt, being a psycho stalker murder master with a freaky-dickey mystical death bond with the Captain of the Lacrosse Team who was his psycho lizard hit man, would keep him out of the category long enough for her and the girls to break into his house, get Allison’s pictures, break some stuff – _her_ suggestion, not theirs - and get out without anyone being none the wiser. 

“If you shut the door in my face again, I _**will**_ bite you,” Erica’s voice growled out from beside her, the car door slamming loudly to enounciate that the she-wolf was fed up with her shit for the night. 

Feeling kind of daring – she _was_ breaking into the house of a guy who _literally_ had hitman at his beck and call – Vanessa rolled her eyes at the blonde before shushing her, gesturing at the house before whispering, “We’re supposed to be incognito.” 

Erica didn’t seem to hear anything she just said, instead glaring at her incredulously as she exclaimed in a harsh whisper, “Did you just _shush_ me?” 

“Kid, you literally announced to the whole neighbourhood we were here. Of course I fucking shushed you.” 

“ _Kid_ , you call me ‘kid’ again and I’ll – “ the blonde broke off from her sentence to look fast the brunette, frowning slightly as she told her friend, “Looks like Allison’s not in the mood to hear us argue.” 

Vanessa whipped around to watch as the dark haired girl made a lunge at the terrace of the house, jumping up and grabbing onto the balcony, whipping herself up and over the bannister before turning to the other two girls with a thumbs up to signal that it was ‘all clear’ before disappearing through the sliding doors. 

“Shit,” the brunette breathed out – half impressed and half annoyed that Allison didn’t wait for them – before jogging up to the front door as Allison let them inside, the girl smiling slightly at the amazed looks on her friend’s faces as she announced. 

“ _Ma maison est ta maison._ ” 

“I’m sorry, some of us don’t take French,” Erica drawled as she followed the dark haired girl in, head cocked as she tried to listen out for anyone else in the house. 

“She said ‘my house is your house’,” Vanessa explained quickly, not noticing how the blonde stopped to stare at her quizzically. 

“How the fuck do you know French? We take Spanish!” 

“Isaac takes French.” 

“Your boyfriend speaks French to you?” 

Erica shut her mouth as quickly as she opened it, wincing slightly when she saw the shadow of her best friend whip around before the light of the phone caught her face, a wicked smirk on Vanessa’s lips as the brunette drawled, “He speaks French to me **very** well. He is very _fluent_ in the language.” 

“Oh my fucking God,” they heard Allison groan from the stairs before the dark haired girl told them, “You two are perfect for each other.” 

“Aw shucks,” Vanessa waved it off in faux bashfulness before following the girl up to the second level and to the room that must belong to the boy who crossed the wrong girls. 

For a psycho murderer, it was very clean. Very, very methodical. She could tell by the fact she didn’t trip just by walking into the place but maybe she shouldn’t use Scott and Stiles as a guide to every teenager boy’s bedroom. 

_Or, this could be further proof that Matt Daehler is certifiably insane and needs a psych ward. Like pronto._

“Erica, can you see his laptop anywhere?” the brunette asked as she went to the desk, pulling open the drawers but finding, to her disappointment, no laptop. 

“Guys, I think I found it,” Allison’s whisper caught their attention as the two girls moved to join her as she sat down on the bed. Vanessa turned her phone light onto the laptop so Allison could see clearly, the girl’s gloved hands shaking slightly as she opened up Windows to the login screen. 

“Try your name,” Erica whispered from where she was leaning over her shoulder, head turning over to catch Vanessa sending her an incredulous look, “What? We’re here because he stalked her and took photos of her. If he’s that obsessed, it’s not a total fucking leap to assume he has her name as his password.” 

“Scott has her name as his password. _And_ his username.” 

“Well, that only goes to prove my point.” 

“Okay,” Allison breathed out, interrupting the witty banter happening over her head as she began to type with stiff fingers, “Here it goes.” 

They all waited in silence for the password to be processed by the security system, all exhaling in relief when the Windows theme song rang out in the quiet room to let them know it was the correct password. 

“I can’t believe you were right,” Vanessa muttered to the blonde smiling grimly from beside her. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t think of it first,” Erica murmured back. 

“I can’t believe there’s actual people who have my name as their password,” Allison chimed in, shaking her head in disbelief as she pulled up the Documents. 

Her faux calm voice betrayed her, lips wobbling slightly as she searched for Photos and the mass of albums only named by dates. Vanessa, seeing how shaken up her friend was, tried to help out in the only way she knew how. 

Pure, crazy humour. 

“Why doesn’t Isaac have my name as his password?” Vanessa wondered out loud, casually lying back on the carpeted floor with her arms folded under her head as if they didn’t just break into someone’s house. 

“Do you _want_ Isaac to get to this level of obsessed?” Erica rebutted in amusement, raising an eyebrow from the bed where she laid on her stomach, a hand under her chin. 

“I _literally_ threatened to break the fingers of that girl who touched him today. If I’m at the level that I’m willing to go all mafia on this chick for even _looking_ at my boyfriend, I expect him to be at least on the level where my name is his password.” 

“Does Isaac even have a laptop?” the blonde frowned, sniffing slightly as she tried to think on it. 

A second later, her eyes widened, and her face scrunched up on herself as she groaned out, “Oh my fucking god.” 

“What? What’s wrong?” Vanessa exclaimed in a panic, jerking up from the floor as Erica scrambled off the bed. 

“Something – something smells like – “ the blonde started around the other side of the bed before crouching down, lifting up the comforter and leaning down out of sight. 

The brunette brushed herself off before joining her, brows furrowed in curiosity as she watched Erica gingerly pull out a wooden shoebox. Erica stared down at it with disgust, her nails growing sharp as she used them to pry open the lid, careful not to actually make content with it. 

The lid popped free, falling back onto the floor. The blonde kneeling over the box fell back with a muffled shriek, her hand flying across her face to cover her nose. 

“What? What’s in the box, Erica?” Vanessa questioned urgently, disturbed by her friend’s reaction to the box’s contents. 

Erica shook her head, getting onto all fours and crawling away from it to the open window, gagging noises following her swift retreat. The brunette glanced out to make sure her friend was okay before she slowly turned her head towards the box on the floor. 

A chill swept into the room as sweat beaded her forehead, eyes wide as they stared at the seemingly harmless shoebox, knowing that whatever was inside was that horrifying that it made a werewolf, the Apex predator in the house, sick enough to start throwing up. Vanessa crept towards the box, hands shaking slightly as she got down to her knees in front of it, head warily titled back far enough that the contents weren’t visible to her. She cast a nervous glance at Allison on the bed, the girl unresponsive or uncaring about Erica’s gagging or Vanessa’s position on the floor. 

_There’s no reason to traumatize Allison with whatever is in the box. Let her do her thing and grow a set so you can do yours, Nessa._

The brunette gritted her teeth, steeling herself for whatever she would be coming face to face with before leaning over slightly. 

Then a little more. 

And a little more. 

Until she could see completely inside the box. 

And what she saw was her nightmares made true. 

With bile shooting up her throat, Vanessa raced out onto the balcony, joining Erica in emptying her contents along the side of her house, air rasping out of her throat as she tried to breathe in through her nose. Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she sobbed, the last of the bitter liquid dribbling from her lips as she leaned over the balcony banister. 

“Shhhh, it’s okay,” Erica’s voice sang soothingly in her ear, the girl’s own voice edged in tears already shed, “Just _breathe_ , okay? Just breathe through your nose.” 

It was stellar advice. It would have worked if the image of what was inside that box wasn’t imprinted into her mind, burning at the crevice of her memory until she threw up again. 

It was a picture of Allison. The first one that Vanessa had seen since they arrived. And it was probably going to be the worst one she would see by the time she left. 

It was nighttime when it was taken, she could tell by the shadows creeping at the corners despite the flash used in the photograph. And the fact that her friend was obviously sleeping when it was taken, unaware of the photographer standing over her with his camera. Her dark hair laid in curly waves under her head, her nightshirt riding up to her collarbone to reveal the milky white flesh underneath. Her lashes, long and dark even without makeup, rested against her cheek, soft and unburdened in their form. Allison was unconscious, blissfully unaware of the thumb pressing gently on her pulse point or the knuckle brushing against her chin. The hand was the only thing in the photo that didn’t belong to the dark-haired girl. And the only clue about who took the photo. At least, that was what Vanessa thought, until she ran back inside to take a closer look – despite the sour taste in her mouth that begged her otherwise. 

She ignored what was sprayed on the bottom of the picture – her mind could only deal with so many things at once and that was a place she didn’t want to even _think_ about thinking about – and studied the dark shadows on the arm leading out of the frame. 

_Well, isn’t this interesting – and even more fucking horrifying than before._

It seemed like figuring out who the photographer was – _that_ was going to be mind-boggling part. 

The wrist caressing Allison’s neck had wristbands and a worn leather bracelet that looked similar to the ones she had seen Matt wearing, the few times that she had been in close contact with the boy, like that day she had caught him fiddling with the tablet after that fight between Jackson and Scott. 

But that didn’t make sense because the skin, the skin above the wrist, was covered in _**scales**_. Dark green and shimmering with silver, the supernatural texture crawled all the way up to just below where the person’s elbow would be before it disappeared out of the frame.Vanessa shook her head at the implications of the photograph, not just at the fact that Matt – _because who else could it have been?_ – not only broke into Allison’s room and took photos of her sleeping, touching her when she was sleeping, but that he also suffered from the same supernatural curse as his puppet. Either that, or he developed a really bad and peculiar skin rash. 

Either way it was fucked up. This whole situation was fucked up. 

“Ness, Nessa, put it down,” Erica whispered in her ear, her hand coming up to encircle the brunette’s wrist before pressing down on it gently to lower the appendage, “Don’t look at it anymore.” 

“Do you – do you see _it_ – do you see what’s in this picture?” 

"I do, but I know that it won’t change if you keep staring at it. You can’t cut off his hand by glaring at it.” 

“I – “ 

“Guys,” Allison called out quietly, voice low and full of warning, “Guys, I think – I think I found it.” 

The two girls got up off the floor to join their friend on the bed once more, both sitting down on either side of her to look at the laptop screen. And what Allison had pulled up on it. 

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Erica hissed, sitting back a bit with a wince. 

“I can’t believe this,” Vanessa growled out, blue eyes fixed on the pictures Allison was scrolling through. 

All two hundred – _I fucking counted_ – were of Allison. Every single fucking one of them. 

At school. At the bleachers. In class. In the carpark. In her car. At the steps. On the roof. 

Smiling. Crying. Laughing. Frowning. Yelling. Staring off into space. 

They scrolled through all of them until she felt like she had seen her friend too many fucking times in the span of a minute. 

But when they got to around the hundred-mark, Vanessa kind of wished they could go back to those seemingly innocent photos. 

Because after a hundred, they got _worse_. 

Still featuring the dark-haired girl, she was now in different places. Places Matt should have **_never_** been. 

The girl’s locker room. The mall. The library. The park. The Beacon Hills Preserve. The bowling alley. The movies. The cemetery. 

**Worse**. 

Her street. Her neighborhood. Her driveway. Her bedroom windows. Her _bedroom_. 

**There**. 

It was the same photo, but clean of any……. _taint_. 

Allison’s whole body shook from where the girl sat next to Vanessa and Erica, strangled gasps barely escaping her throat and high pitch hitches in her breathe coming from her nose. Her dark, glassy eyes, bright in the light from the laptop, blinked incredulously at the photo before her while her two friends exchanged uneasy glances. 

“Hey,” Vanessa said softly, waiting until her friend blinked a couple of times before slowly extending her hand towards her, “Hey, Allie. Look at me.” 

Despite having been cautious in her approach, Allison still flinched back when the hand settled on her shoulder, a terrified shriek echoing through the once silent room. Her own hands tremored as they were raised to cover her eyes as she made an audible effort to compose herself. 

It didn’t work. 

It started in the way her inhaling and exhaling didn’t match, her terror echoing out in strong shudders that made it difficult for her to breathe in properly. Allison seemed to panic at the lack of air and started shrieking into her hand, which had slid down from her eyes to cover her mouth, so she didn’t make too much noise, lest it attracted the attention of the neighbors. 

“Allie?” Vanessa repeated, her hand tightening slightly on the girl’s shoulder as Allison attempted to shake her off, “Allie, don’t look at it. Stop looking at it.” 

The dark haired girl shook her head hard, mouth gaping open as she tried to scramble back. The brunette leaned over to share a silent look at the blonde on the other side of the horrified girl, Erica nodding her head that she received the message before she pried the laptop from Allison’s white knuckled grip. 

Leading Allison away from the bed, away from the laptop and away from what lay in the box on the floor, the two girls travelled outside of the bedroom and down the hall. Vanessa tried every room on the level before she found the bathroom, gently pushing the girl inside and down onto the toilet seat before she turned the faucet on and looked around for a cloth. 

The sound of the running water distracted Allison long enough for her natural breathing pattern to return to her, her delicate hands gripping the collar of her black hoodie as she put her head between her knees. 

Vanessa ran a cloth under the cold water before rinsing it out, turning off the faucet and around to the girl on the toilet seat. She crouched down until they were at eye-level and gently pressed two fingers under Allison’s chin to help raise her head high enough that she could press the cool cloth to her face without it dripping onto their clothes or onto the floor. 

“Just listen to my voice, sweetie,” Vanessa hummed as she dabbed at her friend’s brow and under her eyes, praying that the cool water or the soothing tone would calm her down, “Just listen to my voice.” 

“He – he was – he was – “ 

“I know, Allie, but after tonight he won’t go anywhere near you ever again – “ 

“ **NO!** ” Allison exclaimed, getting up and scrunching up her face in disgust and disbelief as she pointed to herself, “He came into _my_ bedroom, through _my_ window and took pictures of _me fucking **sleeping!**_ He was _**touching**_ me and I – I didn’t feel a thing! He could have done anything to me – he – he could have – done _something_ and I wouldn’t know. _I wouldn’t know_.” 

Vanessa stood up to join her, snatching up her hands and pulling her attention towards her, “Hey, hey! _Listen_ to me. If he did anything – _anything_ – we can find out. We can ask Lisa to do a physical, we will support you in whatever you need – _anything_ you need _if_ you want. Okay, Allie, but I _need_ you to believe me when I say that whatever he did, he won’t get away with it. _Any_ of it.” 

“ _You don’t understand!_ ” Allison screamed, jamming her hands over her ears as she cried out, “There is over _two hundred_ pictures of me on his laptop! He has managed to follow me around, get _inside_ my house and touch me without me being none the wiser! _How?_ I’m supposed to be this hunter, this - this strong, fierce warrior who is supposed to protect people but I can’t even protect myself!” 

The dark haired girl fell back onto the toilet seat, a shuddering breathe leaving her body as she softly murmured with a sort of helplessness that broke her friend in two, “I can’t let this happen again.” 

“And it won’t,” Vanessa insisted fiercely, brows set in a straight line over determined blue eyes as she told Allison, “It will never happen again. But while I agree that in order for you to feel safe within your home and within yourself again, you need to learn to protect and secure yourself – you have to also accept that it wasn’t _your_ fault. Him breaking into your house and stalking you and taking your pictures – that is a disgusting and vile act that is _entirely_ on him! Not you.” 

The brunette slid her hands into those of her friend – a friend that had become one of her best friends, if she were being honest – as she told her quietly, “You can’t blame yourself. It doesn’t do you any good and it just gives him more power of you if you do. Instead, show him, show _yourself_ , how weak he is. Take your time to recover, to heal, to feel safe again but when it comes time to come back from that, you will make him regret ever crossing you. You will charge back into life with your head held high and on your guard and if he even _dares_ to try something like that again, you – not me, not your family, not the police – _**you**_ will take him down.” 

With that, she threw her arms around the tremoring shoulders of her best friend as the girl nodded with steel in her eyes despite the tears still running fast down her pale cheeks, her shaking hands reaching up to hug her back with equal passion. 

“I will,” Allison whispered in her ear, “I will take him down if he **_ever_** comes near me again.” 

“Yes, you will,” Vanessa murmured back in agreement, teeth gritted in determination as her eyes stared out the bathroom window, “But tomorrow, tomorrow we’ll make sure he thinks twice about it.” 

_If he knows what’s good for him. If he doesn’t, I’ll enjoy seeing an arrow through his leg for his stupidity._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so as I warned at the start, these next few chapters are gonna be very heavy and very Allison centric, specifically what she has to go through. In canon, it was never specified or explicitly stated what other photos Matt had of Allison but I wanted to point out how the writers completely forgot about Matt literally stalking Allison. So, I wanted to bring it to attention that these situations, especially for teenage girls, is a lot more common than you would think. And I hate how things like this, in reference to Allison in particular, is highly sexualized and romanticized and doesn't go into how fucking scary and painful and disgusting it feels to have these things happen to you. Especially someone like Allison who is trying to learn how to be strong this season since everything that happened at the Hale House in the season 01 finale and the finale of Part 1 of this fic "Breathe for Me", So, for those that have thoughts like it was unnecessary or detracting from the entertainment, i feel like saying that is detracting from the realistic lives of teenagers, of all genders. We call this show Teen Wolf but only focus on the Wolf part and do very little to acknowledge the actual reality of teenager's lives, not just the good stuff, but the problems they face like sexual assault and harassment, mental illness, sexism, verbal and physical abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, racial discrimination, transphobia and homophobia etc. 
> 
> Anyway, leave your thoughts in the comments and i deeply apologize again if this offends or is sensitive to anyone of my readers. I love you all and i just want you all to be safe, be healthy and be aware in these trying times.  
> Sending love from Australia,  
> Delilah x


	30. Hit Me With Your Best Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Nice evening for a midnight stroll, isn’t it girls?” Sarah chimed casually, raising her glass to her lips and taking a long sip as she waited for them to respond. 
> 
> Vanessa was the first to recover, a lie naturally floating to her lips as she opened her mouth, “It _is_ , actually. It’s a bit chilly though – I guess California doesn’t get that it’s spring. Hence why we’re all bundled up. Do you like the new gloves? I brought them yesterday because I noticed my fingers were splitting from the sudden drop in – “ 
> 
> “Okay, I’m stopping you right there,” Sarah interrupted, shaking her head as disapproval flashed behind her dark eyes despite the wry smile curled up on her lips, “ _You_ are now banned from giving bullshit excuses so it’s up to you two to tell me the truth. Now, who wants to go first?” 
> 
> Erica and Allison hesitated, looking back at the scolded brunette nervously before Erica swallowed back her uncertainty, a smirk twisting up on her pink lips as she stepped forward to take over Vanessa’s business of bullshitting, “You see, Sarah, we went – “ 
> 
> “We broke into Matt Daehler’s house.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING** : There will discussions and implications of sexual assault/ harrassment, child pornography, non-consensual photos, stalking and victim blaming in this chapter so if you are at all sensitive or triggered by these topics, I want you to be aware that they will be featured and discussed so as not to be caught unaware. 
> 
> This chapter is going to be long one so buckle up! I hope you enjoy it, this mini arc that I'm having the girls, specifically Allison go through, means a lot to me and I hope your readers take to heart what I'm trying to demonstrate in these stories and truly understand the magnitude of the pain and fear this girl is going through and how strong she is to continue going through it as best and as strong as she can. 
> 
> As always, all suggestions, feedback and criticism is welcomed and deeply appreciated.

After that, the girls quickly uploaded all the photos Matt took onto a USB, also taking the photograph they had found in the box, making sure to put it into a plastic sleeve as to not “damage the evidence”, as Vanessa put it. It was funny because that logic didn’t seem to apply to the rest of the room. 

Now, if you asked Vanessa, she would have insisted that the laptop battery ran away from the computer and out the window. 

“It buried itself,” she shrugged as she turned to join the girls, who had been leaning out of the car windows to watch as she dug a hole in the garden, putting the battery inside before covering it up. 

Erica would have insisted that the force of electricity running through the wires forced the charger into the air and _that_ was how the chord got stuck in the fan, looped around the four different panels like streamers at a party. When questioned about how she would be explain how exactly the charger was torn up into _separate pieces_ , the blonde merely raised a brow and rebutted, “Does it look like I’m an engineer?” 

As for the laptop, Allison left it sitting open on the bed. Untouched. Undamaged. Unassuming. 

All the pictures were hidden, the file locked with a new password. 

Allison. 

Even Matt wouldn’t know where his pictures would have disappeared to. 

But the police would. Once they had an IT guy go through and find them, putting in the password that the girls would give Sarah, they would find all the photos and it would look like Matt was trying to hide them this whole time. Probable cause for charges. 

It was a simple, uncomplicated and a very _easy_ plan. 

Except when they got home that night – at quarter to twelve – they found that Sarah and Lisa weren’t mind readers and didn’t realize that they had intended to break down the plan to them the day _after_. No, because the two women were sitting in the lounge room, nursing glasses of wine with pursued lips and raised eyebrows at the matching black outfits, gloves and the suspicious looking zip-lock bag containing a photograph gripped tightly in Allison’s hands. 

“Nice evening for a midnight stroll, isn’t it girls?” Sarah chimed casually, raising her glass to her lips and taking a long sip as she waited for them to respond. 

Vanessa was the first to recover, a lie naturally floating to her lips as she opened her mouth, “It _is_ , actually. It’s a bit chilly though – I guess California doesn’t get that it’s spring. Hence why we’re all bundled up. Do you like the new gloves? I brought them yesterday because I noticed my fingers were splitting from the sudden drop in – “ 

“Okay, I’m stopping you right there,” Sarah interrupted, shaking her head as disapproval flashed behind her dark eyes despite the wry smile curled up on her lips, “ _You_ are now banned from giving bullshit excuses so it’s up to you two to tell me the truth. Now, who wants to go first?” 

Erica and Allison hesitated, looking back at the scolded brunette nervously before Erica swallowed back her uncertainty, a smirk twisting up on her pink lips as she stepped forward to take over Vanessa’s business of bullshitting, “You see, Sarah, we went – “ 

“We broke into Matt Daehler’s house.” 

All heads whipped towards the dark-haired girl who had spoken up, her chin jutted out, strong and defiant with a challenge in her eyes as she repeated, “We broke into Matt Daehler’s house. That’s where we were. It was my idea and I take full responsibility of it – “ 

“Allie – “ 

“No, it’s my fault. But I don’t regret it. I’ll take the charges and I will keep Erica and Vanessa’s names out of it – “ 

“Sweetie, please – “ 

“ _ **Enough**_ ,” Sarah’s voice declared loudly, causing all the girls to flinch at the cutting edge in the woman’s tone. This was _**not**_ a mother speaking; this was an officer of the law. One that wasn’t keen to be taking any more bullshit for the night as she rubbed at her jaw tiredly before waving them over, “All of you, in here and sit down. **Now**.” 

They did as they were told, shuffling over to the couch across from where the two women sat. Allison placed herself in the middle, looking straight ahead as to ignore the betrayed looks the two girls on either side of her were sending. She busied herself with wringing her hands as she waited for Sarah to make her judgement on them. 

The older woman sighed, placing her glass down in favor of lean forward, observing them all with a keen eye before demanding, “ **Explain**.” 

Vanessa shut her eyes for a moment before confessing, for the first time in her life, to an actual crime she committed, “It was my idea to go to Matt’s house – “ 

Allison whipped her head towards her with a loud, “ _No_ – “ 

“It was fucking _me_ ,” the brunette emphasized loudly with a warning look at her best friend before she continued, facing her mothers’, “It was _my_ idea, _my_ plan to go to Matt’s house. To break in.” 

“ _Why?_ ” Lisa asked, blue eyes wide as she repeated, “What would _possess_ you to do such a thing?!” 

“She did it for me,” Allison whispered before speaking louder, “She did it for _**me**_. Last night – last night, when I dropped off Matt at his house, he left his bag inside my car. I saw his camera sticking out and I decided to flip through it. And I found – I found _pictures_ of me. And they started off innocent at first, me at school that could easily be explained by taking pictures for the yearbook or something but – but – “ 

Vanessa’s hand landed on her shoulder, as gentle as it was firm as the brunette murmured, “Just take it slow, okay? Just breathe.” 

The dark-haired girl gave her a watery smile before taking deep breathe, continuing on, “But then I found photos that couldn’t – _shouldn’t_ have been on there. Pictures of me in my house. In my bedroom. I – I didn’t see all the photos on his camera, he came back to get his bag and he must have noticed how it was sticking out and he – he _told_ me that – that he had more of them on his laptop inside and he – he called them – _candid_ – photos? He tried to invite me in but I drove off - ” 

“And that’s when you came over last night,” Lisa nodded in understanding, sympathy burning in glassy eyes as they took in the girls in front of her, “And Nessa made a plan to get them back for you?” 

“Damn straight, Mom,” the brunette in question growled out, hand clenching on her friend’s shoulder protectively as she exclaimed, “He all but _confessed_ to her that he had other photos of her – _non-consensual_ photos – and he called them **_candid_**! Now, sure, I thought there was a _slight_ chance the dude was geeking out and he meant _actual_ candid photos – “ 

_There was no fucking doubt in my mind that he meant the disgusting kind of candid._

“But now we know,” Vanessa declared grimly as she held a hand out towards Allison, the girl placing the zip-lock bag in her waiting hands where she then gave it over to Sarah and Lisa for them to inspect as she told them, “Because of _**that**_.” 

Lisa’s hand flew up to cover her mouth with a sharp, horrified gasp while Sarah burned a fiery hole through the photograph with just her glare. 

“ _ **That**_ is what we found in a box, under his bed,” Vanessa explained, sitting back with her arms crossed while Allison leaned against Erica’s shoulder, face ashen as she tried to avoid the pitying stares from the two women across from her, “Do you see what’s – “ 

“I can see it _**perfectly**_ well, Vanessa,” Sarah murmured in a low, dangerous voice, placing the photograph back in the zip-lock bag and turning it face down on the table before turning her attention to Allison, eyes softening significantly as she asked the girl in a gentle tone, “Allison, sweetheart, could you please look at me for a second?” 

The dark haired girl glanced up from Erica’s shoulder, blinking back the tears that had gathered at the corners of eyes before she straightened up, thumbing at the moisture before nodding back. 

Sarah’s lips thinned into a grimace like smile before she asked, “Is it okay if I ask you a serious question?” 

Allison nodded again, sniffing slightly as she waited for the older woman to start. 

“Would you like me to take action against this boy?” 

Allison ducked her head slightly before she asked in a shaking voice, “Will - will something come out of it?” 

“ _This_ ,” Sarah began, tapping on the zip-lock bag, “This is probable cause alone for breaking and entering, as well as child pornography. If you can provide more evidence of the photos he took, I can have him brought in by tomorrow afternoon and charged with not only breaking entering and child pornography but stalking as well.” 

“We’re in luck than,” Erica spoke up, reaching inside the back of her jean pocket to pull out the USB, “We have all two hundred and twenty-one pictures uploaded from Matt’s laptop. We hid the others on his computer under a password protected security system that I installed so that if the cops did a search and found his laptop, they could access the system and find the photos, making it look like Matt was trying to hide them.” 

“What exactly does _Allison_ want from this?” Lisa asked, leaning forward and extending her hand out to the dark-haired girl as she questioned her softly, “Allison, sweetheart, it _is_ your choice. What do _you_ want from this?” 

Allison was quiet for a moment and Vanessa felt her stomach sink. 

_Did I do the wrong thing?_

_Did Allison actually want this, or did I force her into it?_

_Fuck, did I fuck things up?_

“I want…..” the dark-haired girl began hesitantly, before taking a deep breathe and raising her head in certainty, “Well, I know I _don’t_ want him anywhere near me again. I don’t want to see his face; I don’t want to hear him speak and I don’t want him to even look at me again. I don’t want him in my house again and I don’t want him to take my picture. **Ever**.” 

“Allison, do you want him formally charged?” Vanessa whispered to her friend beside her, swallowing hard as she realized what that choice could mean. 

If they had him formally charged, he could get sent away. To juvie or jail, he would be sent away and locked up where he could never hurt Allison again. Never hurt **_anyone_** again. Maybe the distance would dissolve the bond he shared with Jackson, maybe he would be gone for good and Jackson would change from a kanima back into a werewolf. Without a master, the kanima wouldn’t have a purpose, a vendetta to deal out. Maybe this could be the key to not only protect Allison but to also protect the citizens of Beacon Hills. 

“Ness,” Allison whispered softly, turning her head so that she could whisper in her ear, “We can’t bring formal charges against him.” 

Vanessa jerked back in shock, “Why the fuck not?” 

“Because, what if sending him to jail just ends up giving _him_ more protection. Think about it, _none_ of us would be able to go near him, to **_stop_** him if he tries to kill someone else. If we have a restraining order against him, Scott and the others will still be able to keep an eye on him. They will be able to take him down should he try anything. We can't guarantee the same thing will happen if he goes to juvie. Or prison.” 

“Are you _sure_ about this?” Erica leaned forward to whisper, frowning slightly as she told her, “We don’t know how the bond works. It could disappear if he’s kept away from Jackson long enough.” 

“I don’t want to take that risk,” Allison insisted, shaking her head before she turned back to the older women, who were watching the whispered conversation with barely contained curiosity before she declared, “I want a restraining order against him. I want all photos returned to me. And I want him disbanded from the yearbook community. I don’t want him to ever having access to pictures of me _**ever**_ again.” 

Sarah nodded, “I can do the restraining order and the photos, but the yearbook community is a school organization that you have to talk about with the principal. I believe that would be your grandfather. Which leads me to believe that if you felt you had to break into this boy’s house yourself, then that means you probably didn’t tell your family about what you discovered.” 

“My family…..they don’t take things like that well. Not against me,” Allison hurried to explain when Lisa opened her mouth to question her, “No, they’re really protective of me. I was afraid that if I told them, they would take the matter into their own hands and last night, I just wanted to have a safe place I could go to. I didn’t know what we were going to do but I don’t regret doing it tonight.” 

The two older women stared at her, considering her for a long moment before Sarah leaned forward with her hands clasped out in front of her, “Alright, this is what’s going to happen. Tomorrow, using this photo as reason for suspicion, I will get a warrant to search Matt’s house for his laptop. We will take him down to the station where we will get one of the IT guys to break through the security system and to recover the rest of the photos. Once we have that, we will have reason for a warrant to get a DNA sample from him in order to match it to the sample on the photograph. If it matches, we will be able to hold him for twenty-four hours while the restraining order goes through and is accepted by the DA.” 

“Finally, Whittemore can do something useful for once,” Vanessa muttered, sharing a small smile with Lisa before Sarah continued on, ignoring her daughter’s bitterness. 

“I will bring you and your family in tomorrow. Did you want to tell them tonight or did you want to do it at the station tomorrow?” 

“Tomorrow, please.” 

Sarah nodded before getting up, walking around to the other side to give the girl a hug, “Are you sure about this?” 

Allison nodded against the women’s shoulder, gritting her teeth to stop the tears from falling once again, “I’m sure.” 

“You girls should get some sleep than,” Lisa told them gently, smiling softly at them all before walking out of the living room, calling back over her shoulder, “I’ll see you all bright and early tomorrow morning!” 

\- 

You see, when Lisa said stuff like _“I’ll see you bright and early in the morning,”_ she meant it literally. Which explained why the knocking on the bedroom door would not _shut up_. Even after Erica rolled over and chucked the nearest object she could grab at it in response before going back to sleep. 

Vanessa, of course, having lived with the woman for a good sixteen years, sighed deeply from where she was sprawled on the couch, rubbing at the sleep under her eyes vigorously before getting up and yelling, “Just a minute!” 

The door opened enough for the blonde woman to stick her head around, taking in the two girls passed out on the bed and shook her head in disapproval as she told her daughter loudly, “Be downstairs in ten minutes.” 

“There’s three of us, Mom. You’re gonna have to give us at least twenty.” 

“Twenty minutes and if you’re not down there, I’ll drag you all outside.” 

“It’s gonna be one of _those_ days, isn’t it?” Vanessa asked, throwing a hand over her face, groaning. 

“You bettcha, hon – but hey, at least pancakes are involved.” 

Lisa grinned brightly as the girl on the couch perked up, Vanessa exclaiming at the top of her lungs, “Alright, girlies, get your asses up! Pancakes are on the line and I’m not jeopardizing the chance at those babies because you all decided sleep was worth it!” 

“If I remember correctly, it was because of _you_ that we went to bed so late,” Allison’s voice muttered from the bed, a mass of dark curls shifting as she turned onto her back. 

“If _I_ remember correctly, it was because I was being a _great friend_ but semantics,” Vanessa shrugged, waving it off before getting to her feet and walking over to the closet to pull out a pair of gym shorts and a crop top. 

“ **Stop. Talking. So. Fucking. _Loudly_** ,” Erica grunted out from beneath the pillow she had pulled over her head to block out the sun – and the loud knocking that she attempted to sleep through. 

“ **Get. The. Fuck. _Up_** ,” Vanessa replied, clapping after every word for emphasis. 

Erica snatched the pillow of her face, flinging it at Allison’s back and ignoring the indignant ‘Hey!’ from the dark haired girl to glare at Vanessa’s smirking face as she clapped, “ **Stop. Being. Such. A. Morning. _Person._** ” 

“Now that you’re awake and alert enough to put a perfectly coordinated clap after each word, you should have no problems getting out of bed,” the brunette said with a victorious grin, hands on both of her hips as she watched the blonde roll her eyes at her. 

“ _Fine_. Note that it was against my will though,” Erica warned, pointing a finger at her before flinging the comforter aside to slide out from beneath it. 

Allison did the same on the other side, checking her phone once for texts from her parents – just in case something changed in the plan and they found out about Matt earlier than they should have. Vanessa caught sight of Scott's name popping up on the screen and was reminded that she too had a boyfriend out there somewhere, somewhere that wasn’t in her house, in her bed – preferrably without a shirt on – 

_Chill out. He’s coming over tonight and everything will be fine. Just get Allison through the day and make sure everything goes A-okay._

Her heart started aching at the sudden thought, her hands flying up to clasp her chest in shock. She had been completely fine the entire night without him but just at the _thought_ of him, her chest tightened, and her palms grew hot. What was this feeling? It was fucking _**disgusting**_. 

Not him, not Isaac – _never Isaac, like, have you met the guy?_ – no, it was disgusting how much she _depended_ on him. Like fuck, It was almost tiring to be so infatuated, so obsessed, so in – 

_Yeah, I’m gonna have to stop you right there. Too fast, too fast, not there yet._

Except it felt like she had just jumped into a speeding car and it showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon. 

Was this what _it_ felt like? That forbidden word that haunted her mind like a ghost, that echoed his name, that followed them around like a shadow. This feeling that clung to her like a second skin, that she would always find to be associated with _him_. 

_Fuck, even I wasn’t driving this fast when I crashed my car into Derek._

“Hey, are you alright?” 

A hand settled cautiously on her shoulder, drawing attention away from her mini-melt down to Erica’s concerned brown eyes that drifted down to the hands making fists in the shirt above her breast. When she looked back up to meet her gaze, she could have sworn she saw knowing flash behind the soft, brown orbs. 

“Yeah, sorry,” Vanessa tried for a smile but it appeared uneasy and fragile as she shook her head to clear it of any crisis – like revelations threatening to explode within it, “I was just figuring out what to tell the others. You know, about the Matt thing.” 

Erica knew she was full of shit, a slight curl of her lips confirming just that, but the blonde knew when to leave well enough alone. Her friend nodded slightly and replied, “Yeah, we’re probably gonna get a big ass lecture about the risks of breaking into the house of the guy we’re trying to take down but hey, it could’ve been worse.” 

A snort could be heard from the other side of the room as Allison said sarcastically, “Yeah, like, he could have been home, could’ve been hanging out with Jackson, we could have been killed, we could have been – “ 

She stopped when she saw the incredulous expressions on the other’s faces and nodded in agreement, “So, yeah, let’s not bring that up to them.” 

“Good idea,” Vanessa nodded, shaking her head at her friend before heading out of the bedroom, “I dibs the first shower.” 

“Don’t use all the hot water!” Erica shouted after her. 

“Well, next time, get up when I tell you to instead of arguing with me!” 

\- 

The girls had all managed to get showered and dressed in twenty minutes, a record time according to the brunette having a staring contest with her mother from across the kitchen island. It was pretty one sided, what with Lisa happily humming away at the coffee machine as she sipped her drink from a steaming _‘Mother of the Year_ ’ mug, gazing outside the window with soft eyes and relaxed shoulders. 

“I thought you said there were pancakes?” Vanessa asked grumpily, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked around for emphasis, “I neither see nor smell anything _resembling_ that of breakfast, so what the fuck?” 

The blonde woman wore similar workout clothes to the teenagers, joggers, black yoga pants and a black tank top that exposed the tan skin and the tattoos on her shoulders. Butterflies fluttered up Lisa’s bicep, settling at the crevice of her collarbones before shrinking into a distant dot, easily passable for a freckle or beauty mark. 

_It was a very Lisa like tattoo_ , Vanessa thought with a reluctant smile before she continued on her tirade. 

“I feel **_betrayed_**. The betrayal in this house is real. We need to confront this betrayal and overcome it, for the sake of pancakes everywhere.” 

“What you girlies need to _overcome_ is the traumatic experience that you must have felt at finding these pictures, _especially_ you, Allison,” Lisa responded, turning away from the window to approach the dark haired girl in question, “I can’t imagine what you are going through right now and I am so sorry that we didn’t accommodate you properly the first night you stayed here, that me and Sarah didn’t make you feel safe and comfortable after finding out what that boy did – “ 

“Lisa, it’s fine,” Allison reassured her, smiling gently, “You couldn’t have known – “ 

“We could have known something was wrong though,” Lisa replied sternly before her lips curled up and her eyes brightened, “But we will endeavor to make up for that! Which is why I thought you girls could join me in my morning exercises!” 

“How exactly does that – “ Erica asked, frowning before the Lisa interrupted. 

“It helps because we will be together, in one group. And it will clear our heads and make us feel better on the inside. Keeping us healthy, physically, emotionally and mentally!” 

“Alright, but as soon as we get back, we can have pancakes right?” 

“Yes, Nessa, we will have something to eat when we get back.” 

“ _Pancakespancakes_?” 

“Not if we don’t hop to it. Come on!” 

\- 

Vanessa **_hated_** running – like any teenager who wasn’t gifted with the natural inclination to do so efficiently and without the urge to throw up every time they breathed. Lisa had them "jogging" around the whole block, even taking them through a short track in the woods behind the neighborhood before they came back around onto their street. When the girls made it back to the driveway, her throat was ravaged, lungs on fire from her straining to catch up to the rest of them who – _may I remind you_ – were fucking "jogging". 

_That made sense_ , Vanessa thought as she blinked back the black dots spotting her vision. 

One was a nurse who had to run twenty percent of the time to make it to patients who were redlining or whatever, one was a hunter who’s family did some kind of fucked up army boot camp to introduce new hunters to the family business and one was a fucking _werewolf_. 

_Just wait till’ we play hide and seek, girlies. I’ll whoop your asses!_

“Alright,” Lisa whooped, clapping her hands loudly as she grinned, “Wasn’t that fun?” 

“I rarely consider killing myself _fun_ , Mom,” Vanessa wheezed out, collapsing onto her back and relishing in the morning dew that dampened her clothes. 

“Okay, I think you’re being a _tad bit_ dramatic,” Erica murmured from where she towered above her, extending her arm out to help her up, “But you actually do look like you need some water so let’s go inside.” 

“Oh, do I now?” Vanessa muttered sarcastically, taking the offered hand, “Good to know my face still maintains the ability to convey my emotions. Thanks for the update!” 

“Don’t mention it, sweetie,” Erica shrugged, smiling sweetly at her before leading them all inside. 

“Are you gonna be okay?” Allison whispered to the groaning brunette walking next to her. 

“As soon as I catch my breath, I’ll be right as rain. Speaking of, can we get some of that? I absolutely love the idea of water just falling from the sky right now.” 

An arm slung itself around her shoulders and brought her close to a petite body, Lisa's straight stick bleached blonde hair tickled her shoulder as the woman crooned in her ear, “Oh, come on! You love our morning runs.” 

“I also love the ability to _breathe_ , Mom,” Vanessa retorted with a slightly breathless laugh, wrapping her arm around the older woman’s waist as she stumbled into the dining room, “I also _love_ pancakes.” 

“And I will make them for you, for doing such a good job,” Lisa said, pressing a kiss to her cheek as she helped her into a seat before going into the kitchen to start up on breakfast, calling over her shoulder, “Just pancakes? Anymore requests?” 

“We’re good with pancakes, Lisa!” Vanessa heard Erica say to the woman before the blonde girl appeared beside her, a tall glass of water in her hand that she set down in front of the panting brunette. 

“Oh, you lil’ goddess, you!” the brunette gasped, lifting the glass up to her lips as she murmured over the rim, “You put ice cubes in it. I love you.” 

Water dribbling down her chin, Vanessa swallowed the cool liquid, relishing in the relief it brought to her parched throat before setting the glass down with a sigh of relief. 

Erica and Allison watched this with amused smirks, the former eyeing the glinting wetness on her friend’s chin with a slight grimace as she commented, “That’s endearing.” 

“Shut up,” Vanessa laughed, leaning back in her chair as she breathed out, “You’d do the same if you were in my shoes” 

Their laughter died down slightly at that, Erica’s eyes turning serious as she glanced quickly at the blonde woman humming cheerily in the kitchen before leaning forward so that she could whisper in a low voice, “Have you ever thought about it?” 

“Thought about what?” Vanessa asked confused, quirking a brow as she brought the water to her lips once more. 

“You know, about asking Derek for the Bite.” 

_Wait, what the fuck?_

She couldn’t help it. 

Water sprayed across the table, the brunette coughing out the last of it with a fist banging hard at her chest as she croaked out, “ _ **What?**_ ” 

“What the **_hell_** , Erica?” Allison muttered angrily, coming to pat the brunette’s back. 

The blonde girl ignored the outrageous looks the other girl was giving her, instead choosing to fix a serious look onto her best friend as she repeated, “Have you ever thought about taking the Bite?” 

Vanessa cleared her throat, taking in the clench of Allison’s jaw and the curiosity burning in Erica’s dark gaze before asking cautiously, “What brought this on?” 

“I just,” Erica began, taking a deep breathe in before explaining, “I just thought – I thought that you would appreciate the extra boost. Like, I don’t know – “ 

“She can’t take the Bite!” Allison whispered harshly, looking back to make sure that Lisa wasn’t listening before continuing, “She can’t do that!” 

“Why not?” Erica asked, waving a hand at her herself, “It worked out fine for me.” 

“She can’t do that because, just like you and Isaac and Boyd and Scott, it will make her a target.” 

“For _your_ grandfather?” 

“Yes,” Allison growled, closing her eyes before repeating, “Yes, for my grandfather.” 

“ _Well_ – “ 

“There is no "well", Erica. We have bigger things to deal with than another werewolf for my parents to worry about.” 

“Is that what I am to you people? Is that what Isaac and Boyd and Derek and Scott - is that all we are? Just another _werewolf_ for you to worry about?” 

“No, I didn’t mean it like that – “ 

“Well, it _sounds_ like you did – “ 

“I _just_ meant – “ 

“Girls, _please_ ,” Vanessa interrupted, rubbing at her temples, “Just _calm down_. Now, let’s talk about this like _rational people_ instead of going for the throat.” 

“That _is_ what you taught us, Ness,” Erica pointed out with a slight curl to her lips, as she crossed her arms over her chest, “You taught us to _**always**_ go for the throat.” 

“What's she talking about?” Allison asked warily, looking between the two girls. 

Vanessa blinked erratically, confused at how the conversation could take such a turn before she stood up with her hands help out in a calming gesture in front of her, “Alright, I _literally_ have no clue what just happened but I think we should all take a breather before – “ 

“Actually, I think I’m gonna go,” Erica said as she pushed her chair in, shrugging on her jacket as she did so before calling out to Lisa, “Thanks for letting me stay over, Lisa, but I think I’m gonna head on home.” 

“Okay, sweetie, it was nice having you over!” 

Vanessa scrambled over to the door, following the girl out the front and down the driveway, calling out her name as went, “Erica! Erica, can you just wait a second!?” 

Erica spun on her heel, blonde curls whipping around her before settling on her shoulders as she fixed her best friend with a dry smile, “Is it really so bad to be one of us?” 

“No one said it was!” the brunette exclaimed, stepping forward, “Allison didn’t mean anything bad by it. She just said that it was bad timing because of everything we’re dealing with right now.” 

“So, tell me the truth,” Erica demanded, grabbing her hand, and holding it in hers as she looked in her eyes, “Have you ever thought about asking Derek for the Bite?” 

Vanessa blinked at her, mouth open and gaping as she tried to get her mind to think. To think what exactly, she didn’t know. 

“Do you mean have I _ever_ thought about it or do you mean do I want it right _now_?” Vanessa asked slowly, eyes darting between Erica’s brown ones as the blonde girl huffed in frustration. 

“Do you **_want_** it? The Bite? Right **_now?_** ” 

_**Did** I want it? _

__

The brunette considered it carefully. The bad and the good. The consequences. _**Everything.**_

__

She couldn’t deny that she sometimes felt envious of her werewolf friends. That she felt weak and small and defenceless and useless beside them. That she hated having to hide or to wait. That she had to sit on the side lines or stand behind them. That she was always breaking down or that she couldn’t keep up. But then again, she felt like those things could be fixed without changing something about herself that didn’t _need_ to be changed. Erica, Isaac and Boyd – they all needed the Bite to change a part of their lives that hurt them, that pressed on them every day. _Her?_ She had **_everything_** she needed. She had a loving and supportive family; she was healthy and would likely live a long natural life. She had friends who would do anything for her. 

__

So what, she couldn’t run fast enough to keep up? So what, she couldn’t fight back with her bare hands? So what, she couldn’t hear or see from far away or heal at supernatural speeds? That didn’t make her less, just as accepting the Bite didn’t make her more. Being _herself_ didn’t make her weak. It made her **human**

**__**

****

“No, I don’t want it now,” Vanessa whispered back after a long moment, tilting her head up to look her friend in the eye as she explained, “I don’t _need_ the Bite. I have everything I could possibly want and need. But I do think about it sometimes. And in those moments, I let myself think about how maybe someday, for some reason, I _will_ want it because I’m not content with the life I’m living now but that day _isn’t_ today. And I don’t think it will be tomorrow or the day after that.” 

****

__

****

The brunette took a deep breathe before continuing on, “The point is, that I might never need the Bite. And that will be fine. It doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean I think less of you or the others for taking it. I _was_

****

____

**__**

Erica considered her for a moment before nodding but nevertheless, her hand slid out from her grip as the blonde flipping her curls over her shoulder with a gentle smile, “I get you. Sorry, I just – I just – look, I’m sorry if I seemed like I was being pushy, it’s been a long night – a long week and I think I just need some time to myself.” 

**__**

__

**__**

“Oh, okay,” Vanessa murmured, shoulders slouching in disappointment before she opened her arms with hopeful eyes, “Goodbye hug?” 

**__**

__

**__**

The blonde let out a little laugh before coming back to wrap her arms around her in a firm hug, whispering in her ear, “Tell Allison no hard feelings, yeah?” 

**__**

__

**__**

“Will do.” 

**__**

__

**__**

Erica pulled back at that, giving her a hesitant smile before continuing on down the driveway, disappearing down the road. 

**__**

__

**__**

Vanessa frowned to herself as she stared at the spot her friend had vacated, her words sticking around like a bad feeling in her stomach. She wasn’t lying when she told Erica that she didn’t think that she was at the stage in her life that she felt she needed to accept the Bite. She was being completely honest when she said she was content with almost every aspect of it – except for the obvious threats like the kanima or the hunters or the other supernatural creatures roaming the edge of their peripheral futures. 

**__**

__

**__**

No, the stone like weight settling in her abdomen was because she considered the Bite _**inevitable**_. And she didn’t know what to think of that. 

**__**

__

**__**

“Hey,” Allison’s voice called out from behind her, causing her to turn around abruptly. 

**__**

__

**__**

The dark-haired girl peeked around the door, her dark eyes gazing around behind her as she asked, “Did she actually go home?” 

**__**

__

**__**

“Yeah, but she told me to tell you no hard feelings,” Vanessa explained as she walked up to meet her friend by the door, shrugging, “It's been a long week so I think the stress just got to her.” 

**__**

__

**__**

“Yeah, it’s getting to me too,” Allison nodded in agreement as they headed back inside. 

**__**

__

**__**

“Did someone say they were stressed?” Lisa exclaimed loudly, sliding across the floor with jazz hands out beside her as she declared, “I have the perfect way to – “ 

**__**

__

**__**

“ _Mom_ ,” Vanessa interrupted with pleading eyes, “Pancakes first. Stress reliever second.” 

**__**

__

**__**

“That sounds unhealthy but I’m in total agreement,” Allison sighed warily before joining her friend in the dining room, the smell of buttermilk pancakes and maple syrup luring them to the table where the sun shone through the window, creating an ambience of peace. 

**__**

__

**__**

The two girls exchanged a look from across the table that went by unnoticed by the blonde lady in between them. A look that said pretty much the same thing. 

**__**

__

**__**

_Like that will last._

**__**

__

**__**

\- 

**__**

__

**__**

Lisa, it seemed, was not as oblivious to the dry echo of thoughts surrounding the dining table that morning as they originally thought. For she took the ambience of peace and turned it into a morning of war. 

**__**

__

**__**

Okay, not _**literal**_ war – it’s _Lisa_ , for God’s sake – but violence. If you could call self-defense class a form of violence, then yeah, it was a morning full of violence. 

**__**

__

**__**

Allison, _per fucking usual_ , was a natural. She shrugged it off as being part of her training as a hunter, but Vanessa was not buying that bullshit. She knew that if Isaac had god-blessed looks, then Allison had god-blessed skills. And the word skill was used as a very broad term. Meaning that the chick was good at **everything**. Something Lisa remarked on as Allison threw Vanessa over her shoulder for the fifth time in a row. She was starting to bruise. But she couldn’t feel it because all sensation in her back disappeared by the third throw. 

**__**

__

**__**

“Alright, as _fun_ as this fucking is, I think it’s obvious Allison doesn’t need self-defense,” Vanessa remarked as she got to her feet _again_ , rubbing at her shoulder bladed in an attempt to get back any feeling once so ever. 

**__**

__

**__**

“I was about to say but – “ 

**__**

__

**__**

“But you just wanted to see me get tossed around a few times?” she finished off Lisa’s sentence, sending her mother a very dry smile as she crossed her arms over her chest, “And what, _mother dearest_ , have I done to upset you so much this morning?” 

**__**

__

**__**

“Besides asking her for pancakes _seventeen_ times – a large majority of them being after she made the first batch,” Allison pointed out, grinning when Vanessa turned her glare onto her. 

**__**

__

**__**

“Okay, but why are _you_ complaining? I shared with you!” 

**__**

__

**__**

“I wasn’t complaining. I was filling you in on why Lisa thought it was amusing to see you get thrown around like a rag doll.” 

**__**

__

**__**

“ _Okay!_ ” the brunette exclaimed abruptly, clapping her hands as she turned to them both with a cheerful smile that was too tight and too wide to be genuine, “We’re not doing _that_ anymore. My turn to learn something other than one thousand ways to land on your ass.” 

**__**

__

**__**

“But you were getting so good at it!” Lisa crooned, throwing her head back laughing when her child stomped her foot in response. 

**__**

__

**__**

“Laugh it up, Mom, cause’ after I ace whatever you throw at me next, you won’t be laughing anymore!” 

**__**

__

**__**

The blonde woman smirked at that, raising an eyebrow at the challenge. 

**__**

__

**__**

“You sure? Don’t want to stretch or anything? Still feeling pins and needles, kiddo?” 

**__**

__

**__**

“Just get on with it. I know you’re gonna have a good time no matter what you make us do.” 

**__**

__

**__**

“Alright,” Lisa nodded, a content smile drifting on her lips as she directed the two girls to stand opposite each other, positioning them accordingly before she started, “We’re gonna do basic blocking. We will start up slow, but every minute you will speed up. Who wants to be on defense?” 

**__**

__

**__**

“I will,” Vanessa volunteered. 

**__**

__

**__**

Allison raised an eyebrow at the shorter girl, asking hesitantly, “Are you sure?” 

**__**

__

**__**

“Yep, don’t hold back.” 

**__**

__

**__**

The dark-haired girl nodded slightly at that, her posture tensing up a bit as Lisa counted down. When she went for the first hit, Vanessa shot her arms up to block the strike to her shoulder, blue eyes flashing at the predictable move before she maneuvered to block another jab at her neck. 

**__**

__

**__**

_Stop playing around and actually hit me._

**__**

__

**__**

Allison jutted out her chin in defiance before thrusting her fist out with more force, the impact landing harder on Vanessa’s wrist. She gritted her teeth to hold back a grunt at the strike, shaking her head as she pushed her friend back. 

**__**

__

**__**

_Well, taunting her was fairly easy. Let’s see it again, shall we?_

**__**

__

**__**

Vanessa leaned back on her heels, keeping her feet moving as she got into a defensive stance again. The minute sounded, so they would be going faster now. And Allison did go fast. Really fucking fast. 

**__**

__

**__**

_Note to self: Don’t taunt Allison Argent._

**__**

__

**__**

The brunette struggled to keep up, even missing a few blocks and ending up with a few jabs to the shoulder and chin. Biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, she kept her arms together and used them as a shield, hoping that both limbs would share the impact better. 

**__**

__

**__**

“I think we should stop now,” Lisa chimed in nervously from the side, but she may as well have been whispering. 

**__**

__

**__**

Both girls were not backing down, Vanessa’s arms still up defensively while Allison increased her blows. Her aim started to go sloppy, not strategic, simple moves of self-defense morphing into almost violent attacks. The brunette peeked through the cracks between her fingers and jerked back in surprise at the malice lurking behind her friend’s eyes. Her jaw was clenched tight, her lips curled up to reveal her teeth grinding against each other, examples of barely maintained restraint. At some point in this exercise, Allison had stopped seeing her as a training partner and started seeing her as an actual opponent. Her attacks were rough and sent pain shooting up Vanessa’s arm, but her brown eyes were narrowed with a predatory focus alike to that of wolves……or those that _hunted_ them. 

**__**

__

**__**

_Is this what a hunter is – is this what a hunter is taught?_

**__**

__

**__**

_Fuck, fuck, fuck._

**__**

__

**__**

Her friend wasn’t relenting anytime soon. She hadn’t yet snapped out of whatever trance she had fallen into and Vanessa's fucking arm felt like it was a few punches – because that was what the dark haired girl was doing, _punching_ her arm – away from breaking entirely and she was not the only one that realized it. 

**__**

__

**__**

“ _Hey_ , _**hey**_ , **HEY**!” Lisa shouted, moving quickly to try to stop the girl, “ _Allison_ , **Allison** , you need to **stop**. You’re **_hurting_** her!” 

**__**

__

**__**

The blonde woman reached out her hand to stop her, pushing herself between the two and holding Allison’s flailing arms in a tight, unyielding grip. Lisa whispered gently in her ear as Allison cried out, still fighting off the restraints. 

**__**

__

**__**

“Allison, Allison, sweetie, _please_ ,” the woman repeated over and over again, pleading with her to calm down, “You’re okay, you’re safe, nobody is trying to hurt you, nobody here is trying to hurt you, please.” 

**__**

__

**__**

Collapsing into herself, Allison screamed out in defeat before crashing to her knees, Lisa crashing down beside her, not pulling away from the girl as she turned her hold into an embrace. The dark haired girl slumped back against her chest, torso tremoring as violent sobs overtook her. 

**__**

__

**__**

“It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, just let it out.” 

**__**

__

**__**

The baby monitor at her hip roared to life, drawing the attention of the woman and her daughter, who stood helplessly off to the side. Vanessa’s eyes darted to the house before she nodded at her mother that she would go check on Nathaniel. Lisa nodded in agreement, turning back to the hysterical girl as she roared out, almost in pain. Vanessa’s heart tightened in sympathy at her friend’s turmoil. She was stupid to think that regaining a sense of power, of control over a situation where it had been stolen from her would be as easy as having her do the same thing to someone else. The brunette should have known that trauma of any kind would not be healed so easily, nor would it be that clean cut. 

**__**

__

**__**

Racing inside to escape her shame, she felt tears wet her own eyes as an ache grew in her jaw where Allison had clipped her a couple of times. Massaging the area with a wince, she took the stairs two at a time, her brother’s cries so loud that they seemed to rival Allison’s in pure power. 

**__**

__

**__**

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” she called out to him, hoping that the sound of her voice would reassure him that he had someone there, that they hadn’t left him, that he wasn’t alone in whatever tormented him. 

**__**

__

**__**

_Did babies get tormented or was it their natural need to cry out when they wanted something?_

**__**

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**__**

_Was this the same thing as crying when you want attention? I think that me and this kid might be related after all._

**__**

__

**__**

When she entered the nursery, the baby thrashing in his crib seemed to soften his cries a little. Or maybe that was just her hopeful imagination, but she liked to think that he was comforted with seeing his sister come for him. Eyes softening as she gazed at her brother, Vanessa made soothing sounds as she approached him. 

**__**

__

**__**

“Hey, bubba. Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” she asked him in a gentle, playful voice as she reached in to pick him up. Nathaniel cried out again, his chubby face scrunching up as it grew closer before she adjusted him in her arms, so his tiny head rested against the crook of her shoulder. 

**__**

__

**__**

She bounced him slightly, humming under her breathe as she walked them around the room. She subtly sniffed at his diapers, pulling back in relief when she didn’t smell anything that would indicate a bomb had gone off inside them. She loved her brother, was very glad to have in the family, but she was _so **not**_ at the stage where she was willing to dive into _that_ mess. 

**__**

__

**__**

“Did you hear Allie, maybe? Oh, she’s alright. She’s going through a hard time right now, buddy. A really hard time,” she told him, voice tinged with sadness when she repeated the last part before she perked up, bringing her face up close to bump his little nose with hers as she whispered, “But you know what? We don’t give up on friends, even when they get angry or sad or hurt. We stick together until they can smile again. Because that’s what friends do. One day, you’ll have friends like that but for now, you have me. You have me, our Moms, Isaac, Scott, Stiles, Erica, Boyd and even Derek. And lemme tell you, you have to be _real_ special to have Derek as your friend.” 

**__**

__

**__**

Vanessa giggled slightly at that, rocking her brother back and forth, singing a lullaby as she danced around the room, his cries settling into silence before he started to snooze again. She gently lowered him back into his crib, trying her best not to wake him before she tucked him in his bright, canary yellow blanket, making sure to adjust his little black dog so that it sat beside his head, looking over him. 

**__**

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**__**

She smiled dreamily at the sight, melting inside at the pure cuteness of the scene before her. 

**__**

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**__**

_I tell you what, little brother, you might be even cuter than Isaac. Now that’s saying something._

**__**

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**__**

“Is he okay?” Lisa voice whispered from behind her. 

**__**

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**__**

Vanessa whipped her head around to see her mother standing at the doorway, a small smile on her lips despite the lines around her eyes and brows. The brunette’s shoulders slumped at the sight as a frown formed on her forehead. Her mother technically only had two children, but it seemed that even her friends weren’t exempt from the care and protection of Lisa O’Connor. And even though it would be a great sadness to see more than one child in pain, especially after all the issues they had with her when she was in middle school, she didn’t think they would ever give up on a child they deemed like their own. 

**__**

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**__**

“He’s fine,” Vanessa replied before walking out to join her in the hall, closing the nursery door behind her quietly as she asked, “How’s Allie?” 

**__**

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**__**

“She settled down a bit, but I think she’ll be better once the restraining order goes through. Which reminds me, Sarah texted me saying that the Argent's are on their way over to pick her up. So, I think what Allison needs right now is a friend who’s gonna say the right thing.” 

**__**

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**__**

“I feel like I never say the right thing though.” 

**__**

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**__**

Lisa laid a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to turn around so the woman could look into her eyes when she said, “We never do. But it’s not about how _we_ feel about what we say, it’s about how others feel. If it’s the wrong thing, then apologize. But I know you. You speak from the heart and the mind and the soul. When you speak, you’re genuine about what you say. I think that’s what’s most important, don’t you?” 

**__**

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**__**

Vanessa shrugged, turning to head off downstairs when she stopped, looking over her shoulder at her mother with a small smile on her face as she told her, “You always know the right thing to say, you know that right?” 

**__**

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**__**

“Of course, I do, sweetheart,” the blonde woman replied with a content smile as she placed her hand on her chest, “I’m a mother.” 

**__**

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**__**

The girl snorted, walking down the stairs to mutter to herself, “Great, so I need to achieve parental responsibility in order to _not_ fuck up? _Super_.” 

**__**

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**__**

She found her friend sitting on the patio chair outside at the front, her hair lying limp in dark curls down her shoulders. Her eyes were red and glassy, staring aimlessly at the street at the other end of the driveway. She didn't look like the strong, confident Allison she was used to seeing. The girl in front of her looked drained. And it broke her heart. 

**__**

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**__**

“I’m sorry,” Allison whispered quietly, pulling her knees tight to her chest, “I’m so _so_ sorry.” 

**__**

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**__**

Vanessa hurried over to sit down beside her, bringing her into a hug as the girl shuddered with sobs, softly repeating back, “You’re gonna be okay, you’re gonna be okay, you’re gonna be okay…..” 

**__**

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**__**

Allison pulled back a bit, breathe hitching in her throat as she questioned with a hoarse voice, “But what happens if next time, I actually _do_ hurt you? Or someone else? I – I don’t know how to deal with – with everything right now and – and I can’t – _I can’t stand it!_ ” 

**__**

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**__**

“Hey, hey, _listen_ to me,” Vanessa demanded softly, turning her body to face the girl ridled with guilt, “What you’re going through right now is completely natural. It’s not gonna hurt less knowing that, and it’s not gonna fade quick. It will take time until you feel like you're in control of this fear and anger but I want you to know that you **will** control it, okay. You _**will**_. And until then, you have all of us to help you through it, okay? You have me, my moms, Scott, Stiles, Erica, Isaac and Boyd. And I know despite not agreeing with them, you’re family will help you through it too, especially your father. Everyone has your back.” 

**__**

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**__**

“What if – what if it’s not me that I’m worried about?” Allison whispered fearfully, “What if the person you need to protect is yourselves?” 

**__**

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**__**

“Then you should know that every single one of those people – and more – will make sure that your worries are reassured. But they will take care of me, just as they will take care of you, okay? We don’t give up on each other, okay? _Okay_? We’re friends, and friends don’t do that shit. We don’t give up on each other, even if it shits hits the ceiling. We will always be here if we need each other and _nothing_ , not even some pussy punches to the arm will ever make us change our minds. You’re my _**friend**_ , Allie and, like it or not, I’m yours.” 

**__**

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**__**

Vanessa brough the girl into her embrace once again, just holding her friend as she clung to her shoulders, with her head buried in her shoulder. They listened to cars driving by on the street, to the birds chirping in the trees surrounding the yard, and the soft breeze that weaved through their hair and kissed their necks like lovers on the wind. It was a sunny day, but that didn’t make it a happy one. But there was one sound that brought their attention, the sound of gravel being crushed under heavy wheels as a car from the street deviated from the road to drive up the driveway to the house that sat on top. It was a familiar red Chevy Tahoe, one that had both girls perking up from their embrace to watch as it parked in front of them. 

**__**

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**__**

The brunette ignored the two faces that stared at them intensely from the front seat, turning to her friend with grim determination as she told her, “Allison, they’re going to take you to the station to get your official statement. I know that you're strong, so strong, but if you feel like that strength isn’t enough, tell Sarah and I will be there. I’ll be there, and I will bring anyone else you need. Just remember, that the greatest sign of strength is admitting when you don’t think you will be strong enough, okay?” 

**__**

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**__**

Allison nodded, wiping at her eyes with gritted teeth as she told her friend with her muscles pulled taunt, “Thank you but I feel like that it will make me feel better to do this alone.” 

**__**

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**__**

“But you know the offer still stands right? At any point in time you need someone – “ 

**__**

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**__**

“I’ll have you on speed dial,” the dark haired girl replied with wry smile, getting to her feet before turning to her friend with forced amusement as she told her, “Oh, and we both know that those weren’t pussy punches.” 

**__**

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**__**

Vanessa saw the flare of remorse in those dark eyes of hers and quickly hopped onto the joke, snorting, “I was trying to humble you! I won’t do that again though since it wasn’t any help.” 

**__**

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**__**

“You _did_ help, Ness,” Allison told her as she opened up the car door, making as if to jump in before she decided not to, running back up to her friend and wrapping her up in a tight hug as she whispered, “Thank you for making me feel safe, Ness. Let Lisa know I said thank you, will you?” 

**__**

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**__**

“Of course,” Vanessa whispered back, giving her one last squeeze before pulling back, gesturing to the car with a small smile as she told her, “Now, go be strong. And text me every hour!” 

**__**

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**__**

“Speed dial isn’t enough to satisfy you?” 

**__**

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**__**

“Nope.” 

**__**

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**__**

\- 

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#### ALLISON

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The whole drive to the station was filled with tense silence, the kind that appeared before battle or after a death of a loved one. Allison felt the anger, palpable in that quiet that not even a radio or the air conditioner could have made up for. And despite knowing that her father and grandfather weren’t angry at her for what Matt had done to her, she still felt shame grip her heart in its fists and squeeze. She felt like she couldn’t breathe, like the mere _sound_ would snap the men’s restraint and would force their anger onto her. Allison held her breathe until she was blue in the face, which happened to be just as they parked beside the Sheriff’s station. It was a curious thought though, was it still called a Sheriff’s station if they had no official Sheriff overseeing it? 

**__**

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**__**

It was enough of a casual question that she felt herself relax as she gazed at the building outside the backseat window, releasing the breath she had kept so closely to her chest. 

**__**

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**__**

“ _Allison_ ,” her father’s voice brought her to attention quickly, his fierce tone threatening to give her whiplash as she whipped her head up to face him in the rearview mirror. 

**__**

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**__**

“Yes?” she murmured back, eyes flickering between his face and to that of Gerard’s, the wizened man’s head peering around his chair to consider her silently with a cool, calculating expression that forced her to remember that this man was not just her grandfather, but a hunter. One in the same, one that would never relinquish the other and if he had to pick, she wasn’t certain he would pick to prioritize her over his cause. 

“ **How long**?” her father asked her in a dangerously low voice, “How long did you know about this?” 

**__**

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**__**

“We-we didn’t confirm it until last night – “ 

**__**

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**__**

“ ** _When_** did you find out?” he elaborated with a bite to his words, barely contained anger echoing in their wake. 

**__**

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**__**

Allison gulped before replying, “Friday night.” 

**__**

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**__**

“Why didn’t you tell us?” 

**__**

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“I wanted to wait until I had proof – “ 

**__**

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“The way the police tell it, you had _very_ good reason to be suspicious,” Gerard pointed out with a slight shrug of his shoulders, “So, you must’ve had some sort of proof beforehand.” 

**__**

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“I – I – “ 

**__**

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“ **Speak** with _**conviction**_ girl or don’t speak at all!” Gerard exclaimed loudly, eyes flared wide as he repeated similar words to ones he had told her a few nights ago, ignoring the warning look her father had shot him from beside him as he stared at the girl in the back, unyielding. 

**__**

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**__**

Was that what was most important to them? That they hadn’t been _informed_ that a boy had followed her everywhere in town, broke into her bedroom and took photos of her, half _naked_ in some of them, that he had touched her without her consent, without her awareness? It was their _lack of knowledge_ that pissed them off? 

_**That**_ was probably the most fucked up thing she had ever heard that weekend, even more so than the actions of what she had been subjected to! And she decided that she was sick of being treated like it was her fault, like it was her weakness that was at fault here. 

**__**

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**__**

“ _Excuse me_?” Allison muttered with a faux calm before she raised her voice, “Are you trying to **_blame_** me for what this boy did _to_ me? Are you trying to say that _I_ am to blame?” 

**__**

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**__**

“Allison, no – “ 

**__**

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“No, you had your chance to start off this conversation, and you chose to do it by _interrogating_ me like _I'm_ the criminal, like _I'm_ the enemy. Tell me, did you cast your judgement _before_ you were called to the station? Did it only take my name to assume the worst? Or did you, despite hearing how Matt _**stalked**_ me, took pictures of me – _naked_ may I remind you – and possibly **_assaulted_** me while I was unconscious, did you still think it was anyway _my_ fault?” 

**__**

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**__**

“Stop playing the victim!” Gerard yelled at her, scrunching his face up in disgust, “You are an Argent and we are not _victims_ of anybody’s folly!” 

**__**

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**__**

“ **I WAS!** ” Allison screamed, tears running down her cheeks as she thumped her chest with her fist hard, “I **was** the _victim_ – and you can deny it all you want. But your feelings, your opinion don’t matter, especially with something like this. You can _preach_ the strength of our family, about our power, but where, in my bedroom when I was _asleep_ , was I supposed to have lost my power, my strength as an _Argent_?” 

**__**

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**__**

Her father looked at her aghast while her grandfather merely stared at her in cold silence. 

**__**

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_Good, they don’t need to say anything. It’s my fucking turn._

**__**

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**__**

“The answer to that question is that it wasn’t _my_ power that I lost; it was the power of my _home_. As the heads of our family, the protectors of our house, the house _I_ live in, it is _your_ responsibility to make sure that it is impenetrable from forces seeking to destroy us! And yet, it wasn’t _werewolves_ \- the creatures you have declared war on - that broke in, it was a messed-up kid. A human. But, _hey_ , I guess if he doesn’t turn on a full moon, he's not that all that bad, yeah?” 

**__**

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**__**

It was quiet for a moment except for Allison’s heavy pants as she glared at both of the men in her family. 

**__**

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**__**

“The dramatics of teenage youth – “ Gerard started before he was silenced by his son at his side. 

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**__**

“Allison's right,” Chris spoke up with a shuddering sigh before he turned around to look at his daughter with soft, regretful eyes as he told her, “You’re right, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to make you feel like it was your fault. Of course, that boy deserves our anger. And he will get it in full. Did you want to go inside?” 

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Allison jutted out her chin with a steely glint in her eyes as she shrugged, “We won’t get anything done in the car, will we?” 

**__**

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**__**

With that she opened the door and hopped out, not bothering to wait or look back to see if they were following her before she took to the steps and went through the front, taking a deep breathe to steel herself before disappearing through the doors of the Sheriff’s Department. 

**__**

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**__**

Her father had hopped out after her but her grandfather, Gerard, was still sitting in the car. 

**__**

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And as soon as Chris went through after his daughter, a cold, sharp grin appeared on the old man’s face as the pieces of his plan started to fall into place.

**__**

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**__**


	31. Double-Sided Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison had seen these types of rooms all the time on television, usually when she got bored and decided to sit in on watching Bones reruns with her mother. It was a very rare occasion where you would see Victoria Argent ever truly relaxed, always seeming so stiff and on the move but never when Bones came on. She didn’t know if it was the mystery or the science behind it all, but her mother loved the show and would always watch reruns on the lounge when it came on. 
> 
> In one of those rare times, she would actually play a game with her daughter. A game where they would try to figure out who committed the crime before the killer was revealed. Her mother always won, and it was usually after watching the interrogation scenes, where Bones and Booth would interrogate the witness and Angela, or Hodgins or Zach, listened in behind the glass.
> 
> Although, Allison never thought that _she_ would be that person behind the glass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> - **WARNING** : There are discussions and references to sexual harassment, sexual assault, unsolicited pictures, child pornography and stalking in this chapter. While they won't go into depth about these topics, they will still touch upon them in a legal and judicial stand point. If anyone is sensitive and triggered by this topic, this is a warning to let you know. I am sorry if anything in this chapter offends you and I am deeply sorry if it comes across as insensitive. That is not my intent. 
> 
> \- Hope everybody enjoys this chapter! Lemme know what you thought in the comments section below and just a reminder that all criticism, feedback and suggestions are welcome and deeply appreciated!

Allison had seen these types of rooms all the time on television, usually when she got bored and decided to sit in on watching Bones reruns with her mother. It was a very rare occasion where you would see Victoria Argent ever truly relaxed, always seeming so stiff and on the move but never when Bones came on. She didn’t know if it was the mystery or the science behind it all, but her mother loved the show and would always watch reruns on the lounge when it came on. 

In one of those rare times, she would actually play a game with her daughter. A game where they would try to figure out who committed the crime before the killer was revealed. Her mother always won, and it was usually after watching the interrogation scenes, where Bones and Booth would interrogate the witness and Angela, or Hodgins or Zach, listened in behind the glass. 

Although, Allison never thought that _she_ would be that person behind the glass. Her father stood beside her, watching alongside her, the boy who was led into the interrogation room by Sarah, the woman sitting him down on the other side of the table before going over to turn the camera on. The woman’s dark brown eyes drifted to the glass, resting there for a bit with a small, reassuring smile on her face before it disappeared, replaced with a strong, fierce glare as she turned to Matt.

“My name is Sarah O’Connor and I will be questioning you today. Before we start, did you want to call a lawyer or your parents to be present for your questioning?” 

Matt rest his arms on the table, fingers tapping nervously on his forearm as he answered, “I already called them. They’re coming.” 

With that the door opened, as David Whittemore led in a woman with dark hair and tired eyes, who was presumably Matt’s mother with the way that she immediately made her way to sit beside him, glaring at Sarah before asking promptly, “I demand that my son be let go.” 

“I’m sorry, we can’t do that,” Sarah shrugged, not sounding all that sorry as she tilted her head to look at Whittemore with a knowing glint in her eyes. 

“What are the charges?” Mrs Daehler asked with a sneer. 

“Your son is charged with stalking, creating and possessing child pornography and, breaking and entering. We also have suspicion of sexual assault.” 

“ _What?_ ” the woman whispered aghast, sending a incredulous look at her son before she shook her head at the deputy, “No, not _my_ son. He wouldn’t do _**that**_. What proof do you have of this?” 

“We have photographic evidence which consists of both a physical photograph and photos found on his computer which were taken during our search of the house – which, before you ask, we _did_ get a warrant for,” Sarah informed Whittemore when he opened his mouth to protest, “Our IT guys did a sweep of the computer and we found, secured using the password that turned out to be the victim’s name, almost _two hundred_ photographs of the victim both in public and private venues including the victim’s bedroom in her house.” 

“Who is she? This _victim_?” 

“We identified the girl in the photos as Allison Argent,” Sarah responded, shoulders stiffening at the woman’s tone, “Now, _I'm_ asking the questions here and they will be directed at your son. **You** , Mrs Daehler, are only here as moral support since he has a lawyer present who is representing him, so if you don’t mind, I will be resuming my questioning.” 

With the woman properly chastised, Sarah turned her attention to Matt to explain, “We need to know if you did anything that constitutes for further charges.” 

“Don’t answer that,” Whittemore quickly advised the boy as he opened his mouth to respond. 

“ _Listen_ ,” Sarah whispered abruptly, leaning over the table a bit to tell Matt, “It will be better if you cooperate. Cooperation looks very good in the court of law and you might not be facing prison time on top of juvie.” 

__

“ _Juvie?!_ ” Mrs Daehler whispered terrified beside him, silenced with a look from Sarah. 

__

Matt scoffed, patting his mother’s arm as he dismissed the seriousness of the situation and set up his own story, “Those photos were **_consensual_**. Allison and I have been seeing each other, but we didn’t want her parents knowing because she isn’t allowed to date.” 

__

“So, you’re saying that Allison consented to _every single_ photograph that you took of her, that we found?” 

__

“Yes.” 

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Sarah shook her head at him, sniffing slightly as she opened the manila folder in front of her, pulling out a familiar photograph. When Allison glimpsed it, she inhaled sharply and flinched back. Her father’s arms steadied her and didn’t leave her as they turned back to watch Whittemore, Matt and Matt’s mother all go pale at the photo in front of them. 

__

Sarah leaned on the table, one arm folded beneath her and the other pointed at the photo with a curl of her upper lip as she told them, “Do you want to _change_ that answer, Mr Daehler? Lying during a criminal investigation – and make no mistake, this _is_ a **_criminal_** investigation – is an offense. It will be added to the list offenses if we find out you lied at all during this investigation.” 

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“I – I – I, “ he stuttered out, breathing going shallow as he tried to loosen the collar of his shirt. 

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His mother gasped out from beside him in shock and dread, trying to urge him to answer by whispering harshly, “ ** _Matt?!_** ” 

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“I’m gonna ask you again, Mr Daehler. Was that girl, that _sleeping_ , **_unconscious_** girl consenting to having her picture taken, consenting to what you were _doing_ to her in this photo?” 

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“Um – yes – I mean, she _would have_ if she was – “ 

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“ **No** , I’m not asking if she consents to having her photos taken when she’s awake. I’m asking if she consented to having her photo taken, _this_ photo taken, while you were in her room, standing over her bed, **touching** her while she slept. If I went and asked Allison, showed her this photo, would she know about it beforehand? Would she agree that she consented?” 

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“Matt?” his mother prompted him, head down and looking at the table as tears slid down her cheeks, “Would she?” 

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The boy didn’t say anything, merely turning to Whittemore and waving his hand at the table saying, “You’re my lawyer, this _can’t_ be legal.” 

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“How do we know that he wasn’t framed? That the person who _actually_ took the photo didn’t plant it in his room?” Whittemore suggested, leaning back in his chair with a smug look. 

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Sarah tsked him before leaning forward to point out something sprayed on the bottom left hand corner of the picture, “David, I know you’ve been in this a long time. So as not only a lawyer, but a man, I’m gonna ask you what you think **_that_** is before I inform you I have a warrant that demands a DNA sample from Mr Daehler in order to see if it does match the sample our people got off this photo.” 

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She passed him the piece of paper, the man snatching it off her with defeat already sinking into his eyes as he looked over it with furrowed brows and tense shoulders. 

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“ ** _What kind?_** ” the man grunted with a frown as he nudged his glasses higher on his nose. 

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“Sperm.” 

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Everybody on the other side of the table from the officer flinched back at the word. Even from behind the glass, Chris’s grip tightened around his daughter’s shoulders as he pulled her close to him. 

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Allison didn’t flinch, though. She didn’t look away, didn’t succumb to comfort. No, she only narrowed her eyes at the steadily paling boy in the interrogation room and waited patiently for Sarah to be done with him. 

__

“Oh god!” Mrs. Daehler exclaimed quietly as she raised a hand to her mouth, voice muffled as she murmured, “I think I’m gonna be sick.” 

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Allison snorted to herself, _How do you think I feel?_

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“While this DNA sample goes through, we are in our rights to hold Matt in holding for up to twenty-four hours as he is our primary suspect in this investigation.” 

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“You **can’t** do that!” Whittemore exclaimed, flinging down the document angrily, “You have _nothing_ against him except for photos that aren’t confirmed to be non-consensual and a photo that you don’t even know he took!” 

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“We had Isaac Lahey in lockup for _less_ than that!” Sarah reminded the man with fire raging in her eyes that dulled considerably remembering that if she wanted to be any help to her daughter or her friends, she couldn’t blow it by running her mouth, “So unless you want to do me the pleasure and explain how Isaac Lahey having an _air-tight **alibi**_ for the time of his father’s murder and Matt Daehler possessing hundreds of photos of Allison Argent – some that are shown to be _explicitly_ without her knowledge – is different in some way, please let me get on with my job so I can dismiss you of yours.” 

__

“Now, David, if you hadn’t of **interrupted** me, I would have been able to _remind_ you that we are able to hold him on suspicion for six hours before we formally charge him. He’s only been here for three. We will take the victim’s statement, and if it is found that she did not consent nor possessed any prior knowledge to photos of her being taken in either circumstances, we will have grounds to charge him with stalking where we will be able to hold him for twenty four hours until the DNA results come through. 

__

“If he matches, those charges will be added and he will face serious consequences but if they don’t, the victim can still chose to file a restraining order where he isn’t allowed to get within fifty feet of her at any point of time, including school as we can’t trust him not to continue taking unsolicited pictures.” 

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“ _ **If**_ ,” Whittemore emphasized as he stood up, “ _If_ he matches. This society is still built on the principal that all peoples are innocent until proven guilty.” 

__

“And your client is looking guiltier by the minute, David,” Sarah snapped as the man turned his back on her before leading a crying Mrs. Daehler out of the room, glaring at the boy that was led out by one of her deputies before sighing heavily, snatching up the offending photograph from the table and slipping it back into her manila folder, turning to look solemnly into the double sided mirror, knowing that just beyond it was a girl with grim, tear-filled eyes looking back. 

__

\- 

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After getting Matt’s DNA system and leading him to lockup, Sarah took Allison’s official statement that would secure Matt’s stalking charges. 

__

That was the easy part though. The hard part was convincing her father to support her decision to settle for a restraining order and not a pathway to juvenile prison. She didn’t want to admit it to him just yet, that if all went as planned and they managed to cure Jackson and break the kanima bond, Matt would end up in juvie anyway. Possibly even go to jail for the mass serial killings. 

__

Allison knew that they had a greater chance of beating him if he was in close access, and that was worth any torment she might face. It didn’t change the sickening feeling she felt sinking into her stomach, something Sarah sensed once she finished explaining to her father how everything will go down with Matt if the DNA sample comes back a match. 

__

The woman walked the Argent’s out, hugging Allison goodbye before turning to walk back into the Sheriff’s station. Spying Gerard from the front seat car, she turned away from the older woman’s wary gaze to look at her father as she asked him, “Could I stay at Vanessa’s again tonight?” 

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Chris slung his arm around his daughter’s shoulders as he led her to the car, “Only for tonight. I know you doubt your safety in our home, Allison, but I don’t trust your friend considering her associations with _certain **people**_.” 

__

Allison sighed before nodding tiredly, not bothering to protest in favor of asking the other question that had been haunting her mind all afternoon, “Why didn’t Mom come with you to pick me up?” 

__

Her father frowned slightly at that before telling her, “Your mother sent me a text that she’s going out of town for a few days. She has a lead about something happening across the state border and won’t be back until Wednesday.” 

__

“Why didn’t she tell me she was leaving?” 

__

“Our responsibility to the people come first, Allison,” her father reminded her sternly as he opened the car door for her, “You know your mother loves you.” 

__

“I know.” 

__

\- 

__

Allison didn’t speak to Gerard the entire ride back to Vanessa’s house, silently glaring at the back of his head rest as if she could burn a hole straight through the back of his head. To his credit, Gerard didn’t care for a conversation with her either. The dark haired girl leaned her head back against the leather of the car seats and gazed outside the window at the night sky above the trees racing past on the side of the road. It was a peace that was at odds to the turmoil in her heart, a heart that felt such fear and vulnerability that it called out to the world the one person who could make her feel unconditionally loved and protected. 

__

Scott. 

__

She didn’t know how she was going to tell him. She had a hard time telling _herself_ that it happened, that Matt had gotten so close without her realizing and had taken the feeling of strength she had just started to get back after what happened that night at the Hale house, after the Winter formal. When she found out her boyfriend was a werewolf and her family were the people who hunted him. When she found out she never really knew her aunt and when she realized that even if a part of her was the woman she knew, that if that part of her was genuine, it was gone with the swift slash of Peter Hale’s claws. 

__

Just like her innocence. 

__

Innocence was a weakness she could no longer afford. 

__

Neither was her vulnerability. But she decided she would hold onto it just a bit longer, until she was in _his_ arms again. Then she would let it go in favour of feeling strength by taking arms instead of falling into them. 

__

_Nessa would love that one_ , Allison thought wryly as they took the long winding road through her friend’s neighbourhood, _I’ll have to tell her about it when I get back._

__

“Can you pull up at the end of the driveway?” Allison asked as the O’Connor’s mailbox came into view. 

__

“I actually wanted to have a talk with Vanessa’s mother,” her father responded, his blue eyes flickering up to meet hers in the rear-view mirror as he parked the car. 

__

“Dad, Lisa’s got a baby now. She’s probably asleep.” 

__

“It’s six thirty.” 

__

“She’s a _nurse_ , Dad. Do you really wanna tire her out more by making her entertain visitors? Trust me, the woman will insist you stay for dinner if you come in.” 

__

Her father sighed in defeat and she thought it would be the end of it until her grandfather decided to speak up. 

__

Gerard turned in his seat with a brow raised as he asked curiously, “I didn’t know Vanessa had a sibling.” 

__

Allison thought back to that night at the diner with Vanessa, just after her father gave her that tough love lesson in the morgue. It was the night she felt reassured that she didn’t completely fail the baby orphaned by Matt’s vendetta, by her failure to apprehend him before he could kill again. She remembered her friend’s suspicions of her grandfather, and whatever her own feelings might be towards him, she felt as if shouldn’t tell this man anything that Vanessa wouldn’t like him knowing. 

__

With brows furrowed slightly, she cautiously responded, “She does.” 

__

Turning back to her father quickly, Allison leaned forward to give him a kiss on the cheek as she murmured, “Night. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

__

“Come home _straight_ after school,” Chris instructed with stern eyes that told her that it wasn’t up for discussion, "I mean it, Allison. 

__

She nodded with a slight smile and a roll of her eyes, a lame attempt at regaining the casualness that was robbed from her life, before hopping out of the car and heading up the driveway. She waited at the top for her father to drive a way but instead caught Gerard’s eyes from where he was staring up at her, with a small smile playing on his thin lips. 

__

Ignoring the shivers that crawled up her spin, she spun on her heel and walked up to the front door, taking a deep breathe in to compose herself before pushing the door open. 

__

She expected to be greeted with the usual scene that she had been seeing throughout the weekend. Lisa humming in the kitchen as she made dinner, Vanessa sitting at the kitchen island feeding baby Nathaniel like she did the night before. 

__

Instead, Allison walked into the brightly lit house to loud voices, the television on and playing a scary movie and the sound of a baby muttering gibberish. She looked to her right, glimpsing the blonde woman scurrying around the kitchen with her earphones in, mumbling the lyrics under her breathe as she checked up on the sauce pan she had over the oven. 

__

To her left, was the living room with _Scream_ playing on the TV. 

__

_Wasn’t this a surprise?_

__

The first person she saw was Stiles. The boy was on the other end of the lounge situated to the left of the room, his back half turned towards the TV in favour of throwing popcorn at Erica, who was curled up in the middle with her back flush against Boyd's side, the boy who was half trying to watch the movie and half distracted with glaring at Stiles to stop. 

__

The boy, in typical Stiles fashion, held up his hands in surrender before nudging Erica in a playful gesture that said, ‘ _this isn’t over_ ’. 

__

The next person she noticed was Vanessa, on the couch directly in front of her facing the TV. Next to her with one arm wrapped around his girlfriend, was Isaac, the back of his head tilted down to stare softly at the baby lying in his lap, the little boy staring back up at him with tiny headphones covering his little ears to keep him from being scared by the loud screams of Sidney Prescott as she ran away from Ghostface. 

__

And on the other couch, across from the two Beta wolves and his best friend, was Scott. 

__

And he was looking straight back at her with wide, concerned eyes that barely concealed within in their depths the deep, anger he felt inside. 

__

_He already knows._

__

Vanessa noticed her best friend staring at someone over her shoulder and immediately spun around, hope and relief burning in her eyes as she cautiously detached her boyfriend's semi-embrace to walk over to the newcomer, taking one look at her before enveloping her in her arms. 

__

Allison squeezed her friend back, meeting Scott’s gaze over her shoulder, mouthing ‘hey’ silently to him with an unsteady smile. His furrowed brows softened slightly as he got up to approach them. Vanessa pulled back from her friend to lead her into the dining room, one hand wrapped around hers to pull her along. Before she took a seat at the dining room table, Allison turned to Scott, eyes lowered slightly before she remembered her new rule. 

__

_Vulnerability is weakness. You need to overcome your weakness by looking it in the eye._

__

“Hey,” she breathed out in a failed attempt of trying to be strong. 

__

_**Trying** to be strong? For **him**? Be strong for **you** , Allison._

__

Scott didn’t say anything before stepping up to her and bringing her into a bone-crushing hug, his warm breathe hitting her cheek as he whispered, “Are you okay?” 

__

“I am now,” she whispered despite herself, her lips tracing against his jaw before she pulled back to lean her head against his, “I’m gonna be okay.” 

__

“I swear to God – “he started before being nudged hard by Vanessa, who shot him a warning look that had him softening his tone, “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. To support you – to help you with – with everything and I – “ 

__

“It’s fine – “Allison was about to say before she received a similar warning look that had been given to Scott before she amended her sentence, “Forgiven.” 

__

“Let’s sit down,” Vanessa murmured, taking a seat beside Allison while Scott took the other, both reaching for her hands before the brunette began gently, “Did everything go the way you wanted?” 

__

“He’s being kept in lockup on the stalking charges. They’re able to keep him for twenty four hours before the DNA results come in but even then, the restraining order should be put through by tomorrow,” Allison explained, busying herself with fidgeting with her friend and boyfriend’s fingers. 

__

“I still don’t understand why you didn’t just let them send him to jail,” Scott muttered in a dangerously low voice as he growled, “It’s _**more**_ than he deserves.” 

__

“Because we don’t know what that will do to Jackson,” Allison told him with a heavy sigh as she looked away from his incredulous expression, “We don’t know if the bond will dissolve over time and distance or if we will just be sending him to a place where he’ll be able to use Jackson as a killing machine without any chance of intervention. I am not going to risk the lives of the people in this town just because I let down my guard _once_.” 

__

“Hey, what he did – that was **not** your fault,” Scott told her firmly, squeezing her hand. 

__

Vanessa nodded in agreement, “Scott’s right. Don't blame yourself for what that sicko did. You can’t expect to be on your guard when your unconscious. Even the strongest people need to sleep.” 

__

“Strong people are supposed to know better,” Allison murmured to herself under her breathe but with his enhanced hearing, Scott caught it anyway. 

__

“Not necessarily. People make mistakes, people can’t always see what’s coming and neither can you. Matt’s a murderer. We didn’t count on him being a stalker, a – “ 

__

“Fucking full-blown _Alone with Her_ type of psycho,” Vanessa suggested unhelpfully, holding her hands up in surrender when Scott glared at her to shut up. The brunette felt a bit guilty at the comparison, noticing how Allison’s hands shook despite the amount of effort the girl obviously put into keeping her chin up. 

__

“Not exactly how _I’d_ put it,” Scott emphasised with a pointed look before continuing, “But Nessa’s right, Allison. The only person to blame here is Matt. _You_ didn’t force him to do anything, didn’t force him to kill, didn’t force him to follow you or take pictures or break in or – “ 

__

“ _ **Easy**_ ,” Vanessa whispered as Scott’s voice briefly morphed into a deeper and more animalistic growl as he spoke. Allison swiped her thumb over the top of his hand, which had started to change into a claw, unfazed by his dangerous tirade and patiently waited for him to come down from his anger. 

__

She understood but _he_ didn’t have a right to be angry, at least not as angry as she should be. Only she had that sole right and if she wasn’t losing it at that moment, he didn’t need to either. Violence from them wouldn’t solve this. It wouldn’t make it better, and in fact, would probably just end up hurting them and their friends. She found that out when she nearly beat up Vanessa that morning. 

__

That rage, that fear, that fire that threatened to consume her entire being until there was nothing left but her boiling blood – it _**scared**_ her. She couldn’t reign it back, she couldn’t stop herself and she **_loved_** every minute of it, of feeling **powerful** , before she learnt to fear herself, to fear the hurt she might inflict others who only wanted to love and protect her. It was frightening and Scott’s rage might only prob at the embers of that violent hate she experienced. 

__

It had been a tiring day and she just wanted to sleep, in the arms of someone she loved, in a house with the curtains drawn and the doors locked. It was ironic, in a sad sort of way, that she got a taste of how everybody else lived. Normally, the name Argent would be enough to keep anyone from passing through her family’s foyer without expressed permission, but some didn’t understand what the name meant. 

__

In the height of their fear of the creatures in the shadows, in the fear of the knowledge that they possessed and protected from other citizens, they forgot how to fear the creatures that walked beside them every day. Humans. Humans were just as dangerous as the monsters and Matt didn’t have any clue what kind of world they lived in as long as he had a psycho lizard hit man to kill people for him so he had the spare time to follow her around and - 

__

_No, not tonight. We’re not letting him win by giving him power over our thoughts, our fear._

__

The point was her family had left the windows open, the doors practically unlocked, their house defended with only the _fear of God_ their name instilled in _supernatural_ beings. Beings like Matt, who’s only supernatural knowledge was that of ‘lizard man, kill for me’ had no clue what her family was, what _she_ was. Or what they stood for. He looked at her and saw a girl. A pretty, unassuming girl, with empty space between her ears and a blindness in her eyes that let him sneak around in the shadows of her peripheral unchecked. 

__

_The next time I see him_ , Allison declared internally as she straightened up in her seat, clutching the hands of the two people who she had leaned on, who she trusted more than anybody, _I will not be that girl. And I will teach him what the name Argent means._

__

_So the next time he even looks at me, he will rule the day he ever thought to take from me._

__

_He will never take from anyone else again; I will see to that._

__

\- 

__

__

#### VANESSA

__

__

__

For the rest of the night, Vanessa had watched her friend straighten up, bit by bit, like a warrior running on the courage of the armour and weapons added to her arsenal. She even saw the girl grin tiredly as Stiles threw back pieces of popcorn in an attempt to catch them in his mouth. The boy failed spectacularly until Erica tried and got them in, throwing her blonde head back laughing when Stiles ended up with more than he could chew. 

__

They had all gathered around the living room table as Lisa laid homemade pizza and garlic bread on a platter before settling down on the other side of Isaac as they switched the end credits of _Scream_ off to watch _I Know What You Did Last Summer_ , the older woman muttering about how she looked _exactly_ like Sarah Michelle Geller. Isaac, with an amused smile and slightly frightened eyes, hurried to agree while he nursed baby Nathaniel in the crook of his arm, rubbing noses with the little boy to avoid Lisa’s suspicious gaze sliding to him as the opening credits sounded. Vanessa, from where she huddled close against his shoulder, smiled softly as her boyfriend whispered in her brother’s ear, a full conversation like the babe was an intellect at only a week old. 

__

Nathaniel barely had his eyes open, basically having already fallen asleep in Isaac’s arms by the time they had finished the pizza. She didn’t know how, what with all the chatter going on around them and the non-stop screaming coming from the TV. She chalked it up it the super fluffy earmuffs and the natural “vibe” Isaac always seemed to had. 

__

She couldn’t blame her baby brother; she too could sleep through a storm if she passed out in Isaac’s arms. 

__

Not even halfway through the movie, her friends fell asleep. Scott and Allison were wrapped up in one another on the couch Scott had claimed since he and Stiles had arrived earlier that afternoon upon hearing news from Stiles’ dad that Matt Daehler was brought in under suspicion of stalking a young girl. Vanessa’s eyes softened when she saw that Scott had put Allison on the inside of the couch, wrapped up in a blanket barito with his arm curled protectively over her blanket covered waist. 

__

On the other couch was a more amusing scene. Boyd had fallen asleep sitting up, his head drooping until it hit the back of the couch with his soft snores echoing through the room as it quietened down. Erica’s head laid on Boyd’s lap, her feet slung over Stiles with the boy curled around her legs, holding them like one would do a pillow. 

__

It took all her restraint, and Isaac’s hand over her mouth, for her to walk out without pissing herself laughing, especially when she heard Stiles’ muttering words in his sleep, most commonly ‘Lydia’ and ‘pretty’. The phrase ‘gimme a smoochie’ might have been uttered but she was half sleep deprived herself so she might have been imagining up more ridiculous shit just for shits and giggles. 

__

Isaac had long since passed baby Nathaniel off to Lisa, the woman having gone to bed as soon as the last pair of eyes closed for the night, leaving only Vanessa and Isaac awake to stumble up to her room. The brunette had all but collapsed onto the bed as soon as she was within safe distance to do so, rolling over to face her boyfriend as he walked over to the stereo to put on a track from her 'Nightime' Mixtape, causing a soft piano started playing softly in the dark room. 

__

Vanessa took that moment to admire how well he knew her to know that she couldn't go to sleep without playing music. 

__

_Seriously, where was this guy made? A factory?_

__

“It has been a long, long day,” she slurred, curling up into the fetal position as she closed her eyes for bed. 

__

“You’re not sleeping in your shoes, Nessa,” Isaac murmured with a laugh as he made his way over to roll her onto her back. A moment later, she felt the cool air against her feet and groaned out. 

__

“My toes were _actually_ warm,” she whined, stretching slightly as she squinted at him angrily. 

__

“They would have been _aching_. You were wearing **boots**.” 

__

“Still.” 

__

“You’re also wearing jeans. Do you want to add chafing to the list?” 

__

“If I didn’t know better, Lahey, I would think you were trying to get me out of my clothes,” Vanessa purred with a suggestive curl of her lips as she stretched her arms over her head before getting to her feet, “Wanna actually help with that or are you also gonna tell me how my bra is going to give me a back ache?” 

__

Isaac kept his casual grin, an eyebrow raised at her flirting but she wasn’t too sleepy to notice the slight darkening of his eyes at the implications of her words as he shrugged, “I’m just trying to do right by you, Beautiful.” 

__

She snorted with a small shake of her head, “ _Of course you are_.” 

__

Before he could say anything else, she wandered over to her wardrobe, taking her shirt off as she walked and continued to pretend that she didn’t hear his sharp intake of breathe or how heavy his breathing grew as the buttons to her jeans popped before she slid them down her legs. Standing in only her underwear and bra with only a thin closet door separating them, she stopped in her search of clothes to stare at the wood. 

__

He was just beyond her sight, close enough to touch, to kiss, to taste to her hearts content. 

__

She could hear how badly he wanted her, and she knew that he had some ideas of how badly she wanted him right now so why couldn’t she move? 

__

Her skin was burning, it was hot, and it was thriving with shivers that danced along it, leaving goose bumps in their wake. 

__

She needed him. _Desperately_. 

__

And she knew that he needed her too. 

__

“Whatever you’re thinking about right now, Ness, I’m gonna need you to **_stop thinking about it_** ,” Isaac spoke up after a moment of tense silence, voice rough and hoarse. 

__

Vanessa licked her lips before murmuring quietly, knowing he could hear her, “I was thinking about you. I’m always thinking about you.” 

__

The door of the wardrobe creaked as something scraped against it, and when she glanced up, she saw five clawed digits an inch deep within in the wood. 

__

When Isaac spoke again, there was a dangerous edge to his voice that went beyond that of a hot and bothered teenage boy as he growled, “You _**can’t**_ say stuff like that, Ness. Not when we’re in here, alone and you’re – “ 

__

“Half naked?” 

__

A shuddering sound, half gasp – half roar, echoed through the bedroom as something bumped against the wardrobe door. 

__

“ _Shit_ ,” Isaac whispered back, and she saw his fingers clench more over the top of the door as he told her, “You need to get dressed. We need to sleep.” 

__

He thought – no, more like he fucking **prayed** – that he had dissuaded her from continuing on with her plan to make him suffer but he should no better by now. 

__

Vanessa O’Connor was as unpredictable as they came. And no amount of praying would change the course of her nature. 

__

“Didn't I say I would owe you a very special night?” 

__

With that, the door between them vanished as she pushed herself in front of it. In front of him. 

__

His hands were still clenched around the wardrobe door above her head, his arms caging her between him until she was surrounded by heat. Hers and his. But mostly his. His body tremored as she slid between him and the wood, a tremor borne out of fear and the tempestuous, pulsating of desire. 

__

He had never felt like this for anyone before. Never felt like this for anyone but her and he was half terrified, half begging, that it would never change. 

__

His eyes were squeezed shut but he could feel her fingers dance across his sides, barely grazing the cloth covering his chest before they settled on either side of his face as she whispered pleadingly, “Look at me, _please_. Isaac, please, look at me.” 

__

How could he say no her when she spoke in _that **voice**_? 

__

When his eyes opened, they were gold. The beautiful, fierce, and shimmering gold of a wolf at the brink of losing control, of losing all inhibitions and doing what their bodies both craved, what their bodies both needed, _demanded_ of them. 

__

Vanessa O’Connor was **Heaven**. 

__

Her body was a gift to the baby blue lace that it was decorated in, bound around her chest and between her thighs like professional wrapping around a Christmas present that you had been wanting for _**years**_. 

__

Scratch that, Vanessa O’Connor _was_ fucking Christmas, what with the miles of smooth curves and the swells of her breast spread out for him like a map of the world. 

__

Vanessa O’Connor was his fucking world. 

__

“You’re my everything,” he whispered above a hair’s breathe before he leaning down, meeting her halfway. 

__

When their mouths collided, so did the stars behind their eyes, the same stars that had shone that night they first kissed. They delved into the other, consuming them for all for what they were willing to give. 

__

He felt her hands slid from his face, sliding to the nape of his neck, bringing her boy flush to his front as she deepened their kiss, coaxing his tongue to greet her. He felt his teeth lengthen to sharp points but fought to keep the last of his restraint that kept them from nearing any closer than a slow, antagonizing graze against her bottom lip. 

__

His fingers, one by one, unclenched their death grip from the wardrobe door until they finally let go to tighten themselves on either side of her bare stomach, lifting her up and bringing her around him. The feeling of her long legs wrapped around his waist had him releasing a low, guttural moan that was quickly quietened by the lure of her wicked tongue, running the seam of his lips teasingly. 

__

As her nails grazed his scalp, elegant fingers threading themselves through his curls, he walked them back to her bed, sitting down with her on his lap and still as eager as before. She gently pushed him backwards until she hovered over him, soft brown tendrils of silky waves hanging around them as she lowered herself to look him directly in the eye. 

__

“You’re my everything too,” she murmured back with a sort of soft, broken edge, her gaze drifting down to his lips before lifting back up to his own. 

__

Her bright blue eyes were shining. She was scared for the future, for what it had in store for all of them but she was also _so fucking happy_ that they had that night. Where it was just them and their friends. Where it was now just them together. 

__

And he kept staring into those beautiful, enchanting blue eyes of hers even as he brought a hand up to cradle her cheek, preparing to kiss her again – _why did they even fucking stop?_ – when those beautiful eyes drifted shut. 

__

And then her beautiful face came crashing down onto his shoulder. 

__

And her beautiful pink lips opened. 

__

And out came the snores. 

__

He stared up at the ceiling with wide eyes, trying to process _what the fuck just happened_ before he realized his girlfriend just fell asleep on him. In the middle of their make out session. When she was half-naked. 

__

_Jesus fuck we need to go to sleep_ , Isaac thought before he pulled Vanessa’s sleeping body further up the bed, rolling the sheets and blankets around to bring warmth and modesty to her exposed skin before curling up beside her, pressing a soft kiss to her head before considering her for a moment. 

__

Her heartbeat had slowed down from the speed racing it had been doing only a minute ago, her breathing levelling out to match it. 

__

She was asleep. She was fucking asleep and he had never been more awake in his fucking life. 

__

So, he leaned over her, his breathe warming her cheek as he watched her mouth form into an ‘o’ as she snored peacefully before he whispered in her ear, “I love you.” 

__

_And maybe sometime in the future I will be able to say the words when you’re awake_.

__


	32. Feral Chihuahua

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I know, I know,” she sighed in regret, rubbing circles into his wrist as she brought it to lay in her lap, “I knew the risk, but I couldn’t let him keep those photos, Isaac. He – he had so many of her and there was one that was beyond disgusting and I couldn’t let him do that to her, let him have something so precious and so private. And it’s a good thing I made that decision because I found something! Something that Derek and the others are going to want to know.” 
> 
> Her boyfriend leaned back at her darkened tone, brows furrowing at the subtle waves of fear she began to give off and knew that whatever she had found, it was not good. Not good at all. Sighing heavily, he cast a longing glance at the bed that they sat on before bringing his eyes back to level with hers as he groaned. 
> 
> “It’s gonna be one of _those_ days, isn’t it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Shout out to @a_gir1_has_n0_name for calling Vanessa a 'Feral Chihuahua'. In her honor for making me laugh, the title of this chapter will go by the same comment. I told ya'll, Vanessa was going to be facing off against a big dog, and she's gonna keep barking because she is stupidly loyal.  
> -As always, all feedback, criticism and suggestions are welcomed and deeply appreciated x I hope you enjoy this chapter!

It was pretty obvious by now, that there was nothing Vanessa O’Connor loved more than the sunset, the sunrise and spending both in the arms of Isaac Lahey. It was on that Monday morning that she enjoyed two of those three things. 

Gazing at the sleeping boy under her lashes, the brunette smiled softly as she traced the edges and sharp lines of his face, the curve of his cheekbones, the arch of his brows and the bow of his lips – 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” whispered the said lips that moved under her fingertips, his startling blue eyes blinking open to stare at her as she came to rest her chin on his chest with a little smirk. 

“I’m actually _painting_ a picture but,” she hummed with a teasing raise of her eyebrow, “I can stop if it’s inconveniencing you so much.” 

She made to remove her hand from where it was resting against his cheek but in a flash, a own strong grip latched itself around her wrist, encircling it firmly but tenderly, and halting it in it’s retreat. Isaac pulled her closer so that she was only a hair’s breathe away from his lips and grinned wickedly up at her. 

“Don’t you dare,” he murmured lowly to her before sliding his hand up from her wrist to caress her bare arms, to the nape of her neck and settling there as he closed the space between their lips to claim her for his own. 

Vanessa doubt there would be a moment in her life when he wouldn’t have a claim to any part of her, a claim that she would vouch for, for as long as she breathed. He was like a spike in the temperature, the fire in her blood and the fierce thrumming beat of her heart. He was the sun, the moon and the stars and the very air in her lungs. She felt that and more as his arms came up around her, holding her tight against him as his tongue swept up to meet hers, caressing and sliding against her mouth as he urged her, pleaded with her to open up. He should know by now that he would never have to beg. Not with her. 

As they pulled apart for air, she took that moment to study him now that she had his full attention. It was an intense feeling to be looked at the way Isaac Lahey looked at her. It was intoxicating, like having a sip of alcohol behind your parent’s back for the first time and feeling giddiness cloud your brain and the thrill of getting caught chill your blood until all your nerves were alive in anticipation. 

Anticipation was just a sugar coat for the word that she wanted to use but was too afraid to. In situations where Vanessa was afraid to confront something, well, she did the what anyone would do. 

_Change the subject and hope to God I don't have a heart attack._

“We need to talk about what happened on Saturday night,” she murmured quietly, rolling off of his chest and sitting up against the headboard to wait for him to join her. 

When he did, she tried to avoid looking at his face, or his chest – which was bare, mind you, and oh so fucking toned which was weird for six o’clock in the morning but you know, it’s Isaac. Yeah, she was probably gonna have to stare at the wall so as not to be distracted by the god-blessed werewolf next to her, who had shifted so that his shoulders brushed against hers in a silent prompt to continue. 

Vanessa cleared her throat, fidgeting with her fingers as she began, “Okay, so you know that Allison is getting a restraining order against Matt because he took pictures of her and stalked her, yeah?” 

“Yeah?” he replied carefully, brow raising as he asked, “Is there more that I need to know?” 

“A lot more,” she sighed, pushing her hair back behind her shoulders as she told him reluctantly, “Like how we could only get that restraining order by breaking into his house and finding the pictures on his laptop.” 

“ _What?_ ” Isaac questioned in a dangerously quiet voice, whipping his head to the side to give her an incredulous look , “What do you mean ‘ _we_ ’ broke in, Vanessa?" 

“Me, Allison and Erica. We broke into his house, found the photos on his laptop and a photo in a box under his bed - but here’s the thing – “ 

“ _You_ were in _his **house**?!_ What were you thinking?” he whispered harshly, pulling her close to him so that she would have to face him when he told her, “What would have happened if he had have caught you? What would have happened if he had come back with Jackson? What would _you_ have done if they attacked you, how do you think me, your Moms, everybody would be able to _**live**_ with themselves if he had **killed** you?! He’s a killer, Vanessa, _a fucking killer_ and just because you’re not in a yearbook, doesn’t mean you’re safe from him.” 

She lowered her head, letting him scold her because he was right. She knew all of these risks when she came up with the plan. She knew that these were very real possibilities, but she did it anyway. It reminded her of the conversation she had with Erica on the driveway the day before, when her friend had asked her if she wanted the Bite right now. And while she stood by her answer, some part of her whispered that everything they could do that she couldn’t still bothered her enough that she would try to keep up with them, by doing her part to help out. Even if it meant risking meeting the business end of Jackson’s claws. 

“Hey, **_look at me_** ,” Isaac’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts, causing her to look up. 

His eyes were soft as they stared down at her, even though his jaw was tight and his mouth was in a thin line as he told her firmly but in a more gentle tone than the one he took before, “I know that you were just trying to help Allison but there would be no helping her if you got yourself killed. If you want to break into the house of a serial killer with a bond to a _literal **monster**_ , you need backup. Hell, you need to tell someone else where you’re going so that if we didn’t hear from you, we would know where to find you.” 

“I know, I know,” she sighed in regret, rubbing circles into his wrist as she brought it to lay in her lap, “I knew the risk, but I couldn’t let him keep those photos, Isaac. He – he had so many of her and there was one that was beyond disgusting and I couldn’t let him do that to her, let him have something so precious and so private. And it’s a good thing I made that decision because I found something! Something that Derek and the others are going to want to know.” 

Her boyfriend leaned back at her darkened tone, brows furrowing at the subtle waves of fear she began to give off and knew that whatever she had found, it was not good. Not good at all. Sighing heavily, he cast a longing glance at the bed that they sat on before bringing his eyes back to level with hers as he groaned. 

“It’s gonna be one of _those_ days, isn’t it?” 

Vanessa smiled back at him sadly, leaning forward to press a feather light kiss against his lips before whispering, “Isn’t it always?” 

\- 

After they showered and changed – with a lot of heated glances and sly smirks in between because no, they didn’t forget about what went down last night before they passed out and yes, they would be discussing it later – before heading downstairs to see who else was awake. 

Sarah and Lisa had already left for work, leaving a note on the table telling them all to have a good day and to enjoy breakfast. Breakfast, which happened to be three stacks of flapjacks, some toast still left in the toaster to keep warm and bacon rashers and eggs for about ten people. 

As Isaac began to load up his plate, Vanessa peered around the corner of the living room archway to see if anyone was awake yet. 

And immediately started pissing herself laughing, scrambling to pull her phone out and aim it at the couch directly to her left. 

Because on that couch sat Boyd, wide awake, all tensed up and growling loudly at Stiles, who was making out with Erica’s foot. 

“Oh. My. Fucking. _God_!” she giggled, drawing Boyd’s attention away from the boy on the opposite side of the couch and to the girl now aiming a camera at them, “This is **gold**.” 

“Get him off of her _please_ ,” Boyd grunted, trying to shift out from under the golden haired girl to do it himself but instead stiffened up when the arms that were wrapped around his middle tightened. 

“ _Why_ would I do that?” Vanessa wheezed out between laughter, “This is _perfect_ blackmail material.” 

“Erica **hates** mornings. Period. How do you think she will feel when she wakes up and realizes that Stiles, of all people, has left hickeys on her foot?” 

The brunette sighed reluctantly before nodding in agreement with a groan, “ _Fine_.” 

She walked over to the other side of the couch, crouched down low beside Stiles’ head and exclaimed loudly, “ **OH MY GOD, LYDIA, I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE COMING OVER!** ” 

Surprisingly, Stiles didn’t budge. 

Instead, the dork merely smiled dreamily and murmured against Erica’s big toe, “Lydia, thanks for coming.” 

Vanessa raised a brow, pulling back to look at Boyd, who mouthed at her with a fierce glare, ‘ _Wake him the fuck up_.’ 

She rolled her eyes in response, trying to think of something else besides Lydia that would get the boy up and moving when a light bulb switched on in her head. 

Grinning manically and trying to swallow down the spurts of laughter bubbling in her chest, she positioned her phone so it was directly in front of his face and yelled. 

“ **DEREK HALE HAS A BIG DICK!** ” 

Just like that, brown eyes flew open and a muffled scream escaped the boy’s throat as he jumped four feet off the couch. In the process his leg got caught in the throw over blanket, dragging the boy over the side and onto the cold, tiles where he laid groaning. 

Vanessa captured all of this on camera and crashed down beside him with one hand resting against her stomach and the other gripping the phone in her hand as she held it over his face as Stiles coughed out, blinking erratically up at it. 

“That - was fucking - _ **amazing**_ ,” she wheezed before collapsing into a fit of giggles that eventually woke up the sleeping couple on the other side of the living room. 

“What _the hell_ is going on here?” Allison groaned, flipping over to find a hell of a scene. Scott peered over her shoulder to watch as his two best friends laid on the ground, one laughing to the point where she couldn’t breathe and the other in the midst of a coughing fit and shaking his head as if to wake him up from a dream…….or a nightmare. 

He sighed before rolling back over, pulling his girlfriend alongside him as he muttered, “Just another morning in the O’Connor house, Allison, go back to sleep.” 

Meanwhile, Isaac had come looking for whatever was causing the commotion and found his girlfriend holding out her phone towards him whispering, “Quickly, take it. Before he realizes what just happened and tries to delete it forever.” 

He had no clue what she was going on about but if it meant making her happy and making Stiles decidedly _not_ happy, he would be all too willing to help out. Snatching the phone off of her, he turned around with a smirk before calling over his shoulder to the others, “Breakfast is getting cold.” 

Allison and Scott reluctantly untangled themselves from each other, getting up and stretching before following Isaac out of the living room to the kitchen to get their own plates while Boyd was busy trying to coax Erica on all the joys in _waking the fuck up_ and not sleeping her life away. It was a hard argument to take up, especially with Erica of all people, but funny enough, Vanessa didn’t hear one swear word in the entirety of the mutterings she could hear from her position on the floor. What _really_ shocked her though, was the lack of inanimate objects being thrown or the lack of loud protesting being done by the tired blonde. 

When Erica rose up to brush away the sleep in her eyes and to press down on her unruly blonde curls though, Vanessa had to believe that miracles _could_ happen. Either that, or Boyd was just _really_ persuasive. 

_Oooooh, I am so not letting her live this down._

Vanessa smirked to herself as she rolled over onto her side, one hand under her head as she bopped Stiles nose, “You awake there, dude?” 

Stiles scrunched his face at her in disbelief before screaming, “ **WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT, NESSA?!** ” 

Holding her hands up in surrender, she raised her brows at him before bursting out laughing, “Shouldn’t I be asking _you_ that? You really need to be careful where you fall asleep, man, you never know where you’re gonna find yourself in the morning.” 

With that, she got to her feet, brushing off her jean shorts before walking towards the kitchen, calling back to him, “Brekkie’s getting cold.” 

His answering groan was like music to her ears, bringing forth a radiant smile to her face as she entered the kitchen, where everybody was gathered around Isaac, who had her phone held out in front of him as he played the video of Stiles over and over again. By the time Stiles got up to join them, Vanessa had filled up her plate and was laughing around her toast as Stiles screamed on the camera for the fifth time. 

“What’s that?” he asked as a feeling like dread ran up through his blood, “Please tell me that’s not what I think it is?” 

“You mean, is it you screaming like a little girl who just unwrapped her first Barbie for Christmas? Than yes, it is,” Isaac replied with a smirk, pouting slightly when Vanessa grumbled at him for the ‘little girl’ comment but was eased slightly when she softened it with a slight curl of her lips and a shake of her head. 

Stiles pushed his way beside Scott, peering over Isaac’s shoulder to see himself flip over the couch and land on the other side with a groan, before turning around to glare at Vanessa from where she was shoveling her eggs into her mouth, ketchup dripping down her chin as she froze to blink innocently back at him. 

“Wah?” she grunted, putting down her plate and fork to grab a napkin as she shrugged, “I thought it would make a great home video?” 

“That is _never_ leaving this room,” Stiles exclaimed, pointing at the phone as if the very technological opportunity to create his humiliation was an offense to his being, “ **Ever**.” 

“But – “ 

“ ** _Ever_**.” 

“Okay, okay, no need to go all _Larry Quinn_ on me, kid,” she scoffed, waving him off as she sat herself on the kitchen counter, forking at the flapjacks as she mumbled, “It’s not like I haven’t already sent it to my email.” 

“And mine,” Isaac chimed in, looking over his shoulder to catch Vanessa miming ‘ _cut it out_ ’ to him before amending quickly, shaking his head, “I mean, no, that’s _not_ being sent to my email as we speak.” 

His brunette girlfriend on the counter rolled her eyes before she turned to her best friend who was gaping at her in outrage, raising her hands as if to calm down a savage animal about to lash out, “Okay, look, it’s not **that** bad. I can send you a copy too – “ 

“Delete it, Nessie!” Stiles whined, running a hand through his hair as a winced appeared on his face as the words, ‘ _DEREK HAS A BIG DICK_ ’ echoed through the kitchen once more, Erica’s giggles following swiftly after. 

“Oh _come on_ , we’ll all look back on this in the future and laugh – “ 

“Delete. It.” 

“Or what?” 

“Or I’ll call Claire and ask her to send the tape of – “ 

Vanessa’s eyes widened, the girl quickly jumping off the counter to slam her hand over her best friend’s mouth. 

“No, no, no, no. Isaac delete the video. **Right _now_**.” 

“But - !” Isaac began to protest, silenced pretty quickly when Vanessa turned to him with erratic eyes as she growled out. 

“ _ **Delete it now**_.” 

Everybody groaned as the boy did what he was told, Erica mumbling ‘spoilsport’ under her breathe as her and Boyd took their plates to the dining room, taking their seats on the left side of the table. 

Allison went to join Vanessa and Stiles, where the former still had her hand over the latter’s mouth, leaning around them to get to the coffee machine as she asked with a curious smile, “Since when does _Stiles_ have blackmail material over you, Ness?” 

Scott laughed as he wandered over, leaning his hip against the counter as he crossed his arms over his chest, “Oh, you _haven’t_ heard about the tapes?” 

Vanessa whipped around to fix him with a glare as she extended both her arms out to point two warning fingers at both of the boys as she whispered, “Don’t you fucking **_dare_**. If you know what’s good for you, boys, you’ll eat your breakfast and shut your pie holes.” 

“What tapes, love?” Isaac’s voice murmured teasingly in her ear as his arms came to wrap themselves around her waist, “And why shouldn’t we hear about them?” 

She shut her eyes in horror at the situation and wondered when the fuck she lost her power as she muttered, “There’s nothing to talk about, _right_ boys?” 

“I don’t know, there seemed to be something to talk about that time we visited Uncle John's farm, don’t you agree Scotty?” Stiles grinned wickedly as he dodged the flailing hands of the brunette trying once again to slam her hand over his mouth. 

The said brunette was pulled back by her boyfriend, who leaned his chin on top of her forehead as he smirked at her two best friends and said, “Oh, this sounds like a story. Do go on.” 

Ignoring the betrayed look Vanessa was sending them all, Scott took over the story as he rubbed at his jaw, trying to hide the growing grin behind his hand as he continued on their ‘pondering’, “Yeah, I think I remember a sheep, a saddle and a five year old Nessie.” 

Silence enveloped the kitchen and even Erica and Boyd got up from the dining table to peer around the archway at the scene unfolding before them as Allison turned around slowly from where she was making her coffee, a huge smile on her face and laughter in her eyes as she gasped, “ _No_! _She didn’t_!” 

Vanessa squeezed her eyes shut as Scott chuckled, slinging his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders as he whispered, “She _really_ didn’t.” 

Stiles cringed at the memory despite the amusement twinkling in his brown eyes as he tsked in pity, “Yeah, five-year-old Vanessa had _big_ dreams. One of them happened to be becoming a cowgirl. Except, she thought that there were different animals for different ages – “ 

“And I saddled myself a fucking sheep, okay?!” Vanessa finished off the story, taking back the narrative with a glare as everybody burst out laughing, Allison having taken a sip of her newly brewed coffee and spraying it everywhere. Everywhere meaning all over Stiles. 

“ **AH-HA**! Fucking Karma!” the short brunette beside him exclaimed in triumph, pointing a finger in his face as she grinned. 

With his hands out by his side, Stiles shouted back, “ _I HAVE NO REGRETS!_ ” 

“Is this what breakfast with them is like _all the time_?” Boyd whispered horrified to the blonde girl snorting beside him. 

At least three people turned to yell back, “ **YES**.” 

\- 

Once everyone had settled down, Stiles having gone to get showered and changed out of his coffee stained pajamas, they all sat around the dining table as Vanessa cleared her throat to tell inform them of what she and the girls had found out. 

“Now, you all know what happened with Matt yesterday,” she began, glancing at Allison to her right, the dark haired girl ducking her head slightly at the mention before she continued on, “They should be processing the restraining order for Matt at any moment which means it is likely he will be back to school as early as first period.” 

“Probably earlier if a _**certain** asshole lawyer_ keeps running off his mouth,” Stiles mumbled from the other end of the table, sharing a dry smile and an eye roll with his best friend as they lifted their drinks to swallow their bitterness. 

After putting her Milo down, she leaned forward to reveal, “Which means that we have to be _extra_ careful. Especially with what we discovered on Saturday night.” 

“You mean something _other_ than the fact he’s a creep who needs to be arrested?” Scott suggested through gritted teeth, his knuckles white around his fork. 

“Yes, like the fact that I think he’s turning into a kanima,” Vanessa announced without hesitation, settling back into her seat to stare at them all expectantly. 

Everybody went quiet at that, the sound of Stiles dropping his fork ringing out in the silence as they all turned to look at her with pale faces and sharp hitches in their breaths. 

The werewolves had all recoiled at the news, glints of gold flashing in their eyes before they started to taking deep, calming breaths to compose themselves as Allison murmured, “That’s the main reason why we didn’t want him going to juvie. Or jail.” 

“Because if we think one kanima with a freaky bond with a psychotic master is a bad thing, two kanimas, one of which going to jail, possibly in another state, is a fucking _nightmare_ ,” Erica finished off for her, letting out a shuddering breathe as she explained, “We found a photo in a box under Matt’s bed the night we broke in, one that was different from the others.” 

“Different. _How_?” Scott grounded out, his hands trembling slightly from where they held his plate. Allison noticed and quickly slid her own hands over his, breathing alongside him until he stopped his shaking long enough for the gold that had started to appear in his eyes to slowly drain out. 

“Different as in there was an arm in the photo that wasn’t in the others, the first hint of the identity of the photographer. And at first, we thought it was Jackson but than we saw the wristbands, and I recognized them because I had seen Matt wear them before and Jackson's too stuck up for cheap fanboy contraband – “ 

“Why did you think it was Jackson?” Isaac asked curiously, brows furrowed as he leaned forward. 

“Because the skin from his knuckles to just below where his elbow would have ended was covered in _scales_. Dark, green and silver scales. So, unless, he had taken a swing by the makeup artist of fucking Hollywood before breaking into Allison’s house, than he’s turning into a fucking kanima or something just like it. Which means – “ 

“We’re in deep shit,” Boyd finished the sentence, collapsing back against his chair as the whole table let the statement settle into their bones, their blood, their hearts. 

“So, what do we do?” Allison asked, looking around the table, meeting everybody’s eyes as she repeated, “What do we do about it?” 

“Well, one thing at a time,” Vanessa spoke up, leaning forward to offer up answers when everyone else had none, “We need to keep a steady track of everything happening. This doesn’t change the main threat. Jackson is the only kanima we have to worry about right now. I doubt that Matt will…. _change_ before the full moon. I think we should make that our deadline.” 

“And if we can’t solve this shit by then?” Erica questioned with worry fraying the edge of her words, “You’ll have half of us benched because of the full moon! Derek will be too busy making sure me, Boyd and Isaac won’t escape. So, that leaves only Scott, Stiles and Allison to battle this psycho and his pet lizard!” 

“And that’s fine. We dealt with Peter with just the three of us, and he was a very powerful Alpha. And something that Matt has in common with him is that they both went after specific people.” 

“Well, we can add you three girls to that list,” Stiles pointed out as he finished off the bacon on his plate, looking up to see them all sending looks of shock and fear at him, the boy raising his hands in surrender as he shrugged, “What? It’s the truth.” 

“He’s right,” Allison sighed, sharing a look with the two girls before determination hardened her dark eyes as she nodded, “And that’s more than what you guys had with Peter. We know who he’s mostly likely to go after next, but I don’t think he’s gonna strike until the full moon.” 

She took a deep breathe before suggesting, “Until then, I think we should study the _Bestiary_ for more information, try to focus on figuring out how to cure Jackson. Maybe even try to research anything it might tell us about the master of a kanima turning into one.” 

“Now that my dad’s been suspended, I’ve actually been allowed to help him with the case,” Stiles revealed, sharing a grin with Vanessa and Scott, who thought it very much like Sheriff Stilinski to keep at a case even when he’s not technically the Sheriff anymore, “I’m gonna try to help him find anything that will explain why Matt’s got it out for the swim team.” 

“Alright, I think we should also be looking out for each other. No more of this ‘reluctant alliance’ stuff, okay?” Scott spoke up, leveling them all with a stern look as he told them, “From now on, we’re pack. Pack looks out for one another, especially when three of us are probably going to be targets.” 

He turned to look at Allison from where she sat beside him, squeezing her hand tightly in his own as he murmured, “I’m not gonna let him hurt you ever again.” 

“Neither am I,” she whispered back before kissing him softly. 

“None of us,” Vanessa told them gently with a smile, before turning back to the rest of the table to tell them, “Like I said, he’ll get what’s coming to him.” 

A whoop sounded out from the other end of the table as Stiles clapped with a big, dopey grin on his face as he sighed out in relief, “That’s good because I’ve been wanting to kick that little evil smirk off that twerp’s face for a while now. Good to know that we’re all on the same page, good job everyone.” 

\- 

At Beacon Hills High School that morning, everybody went about their business as usual. Students drove and parked their cars in their usual spots – _if_ they were lucky. Parents and buses pulled in to drop kids off and those who rode their bikes to school dodged the vehicles expertly before braking at the racks. 

It was in the midst of this routinely chaos that Lydia Martin strutted confidently across the car park, her hot pink, six inch heels clicking loud and stark against the gravel of the road while her peach mini skater skirt flowed out around her legs as the wind teased the hemline to show a teasing glimpse of pale thigh. Her rose gold Co Pilot Moto jacket hung from her shoulders, left unzipped to reveal the scoop neck white shirt that was tucked in primly. Completing her look of glamorous indifference was the red rimmed sunglasses perched atop of her long, glossy curls as they settled down her back in strawberry streams. 

Despite the brief hinder in status quo, Lydia was determined she would right the _momentarily_ damaged perception of the population of Beacon Hills High School and regain her former notoriety, not as a mentally questionable pariah, but as a queen of the cesspool they call a high school. That was especially important now, more than ever, because she had started to doubt _her own_ mental capacities considering she had spent the entire weekend seeing _**him**_. 

The _**him**_ that had haunted her for over a month but had truly started to harass her every waking moment, even invading her dreams and turning them into nightmares only ending in her terrified screams. Lydia knew who _he_ was, knew his name deep down inside but she didn’t dare utter it lest it actually brought about _more_ than his ghost. She had lost track of what he wanted from her, hadn’t known anything but pure and utter terror and was determined to prevent feeling that again _**at all cost**_. 

She lost herself in those times when his voice would whisper cunningly in her ear, let him lull her with schemes and plans that disappeared into her subconscious mind by the time his voice grew quiet, and the air grew lukewarm again, signaling that the ghostly chill of his presence had pulled back to whatever Hell he came from. She was aware that whatever he would have her do, it wasn’t good. 

The sensation of knowing, of _participating_ in what he had in store for her friends, was on the tip of her tongue, lodged in her throat like sticky webs of mucus. It was the same feeling as wanting to scream but someone pulling a pillow over your head and muffling any attempts to let out the feeling she felt from deep down inside of her. 

Even now, as she strut across the car park like she didn’t have a care in the world, the bad feeling was following her. She may as well be wearing it as a cloak, it was skintight and scorching her back. Still, she didn’t falter, her smile didn’t break. Not even the ghost of whatever demonic past could make her trip in six-inch heels. She was born to rule this school with great hair, perfect taste and a keen intellect. Some nobody stalker spirit was **not** going to get in the way of that. Not again, not after ruining her Winter Formal. 

_You messed with the wrong girl, buster._

The sharp screech of tires against the road drew her attention – as well as the attention of half the students, parents and staff entering the school. They all turned to watch as the blue jeep whirled into the parking lot, turning at a very awkward angle to cut in front of another car to steal the parking space directly in front of the strawberry blonde girl, who pursued her lips and crossed her arms over her chest as she stared right back at the three pairs of eyes blinking at her in shock from the front seat. 

_Finally, people. Ever heard of a clock?_

Out of the corner of her eye, she made out the silver Ford coming in after them, slow, sleek, and steady as it drove around in a more cautious favor than it’s counterpart before parking a few spaces down from the bike racks. Vanessa O’Connor hopped out a few seconds later, sunglasses sliding to sit on top of her head as the girl turned around with both hands jammed into her jean short pockets before she stopped at the sight of Lydia, tapping her foot impatiently. 

_Show time_ , a manic voice crooned in her ear, one that she promptly ignored as Vanessa called out to her. 

“Hey!” the brunette tossed her keys to the tall boy exiting from the passenger side of her car before jogging over to her with an easy smile as she asked, “How was your weekend?” 

Her bright blue eyes were searching as they stared into Lydia's, who once again heard _his_ voice mutter in annoyance, _Like a goddamn bloodhound she is. Tell her it was great, point out you weren’t invited to the slumber party._

Lydia jutted out her chin with a small, unimpressed smile, “It was _eventful_. Had _tons_ of free time on my hands considering I didn’t get an invite to your _prestigious_ slumber party. Not like I **wanted** to go anyways.” 

“Be glad you didn’t go,” a voice chimed in as Vanessa’s blonde friend with the new makeover sashayed over to stand next to the brunette with a smirk, throwing an arm around the girl’s neck as she murmured slyly, “Didn’t get to sleep until one, committed about three crimes and didn’t _even_ get to watch a movie where a hot guy takes his shirt off!” 

The strawberry blonde girl eyed up the newcomer with suspicion, giving her outfit a once over with a critical eye. While Lydia _personally_ would never be seen dead out at school in the get up, it suited ‘whatever her name was’ well for someone with her voluptuous curves. 

The black leather mini skirt accented her long, tan legs that disappeared into a pair of knee high leather heels, the blonde having decided to go bold and challenge the dress code – and the coming summer weather - with her black sheer long sleeved top, showing off the black, lacy bralette underneath and unashamedly revealing her cleavage. The only accessory that Lydia would dare to wear herself would be the black leather newsboy cap on top of her bouncy blonde curls. 

Lydia’s eyes traveled from the boots all the way up to meet the girl’s twinkling brown eyes and ruby red smile before she cast her silent judgement, drawling in feigned indifference, “Sounds like my kind of sleepover.” 

The blonde raised a brow at her in amusement at getting the Martin stamp of approval before turning to Vanessa, who had rolled her eyes at Lydia’s whole minute dedicated to 'judging if a person was worth knowing based on their outfit' and replied dryly, “Trust me, you didn’t miss a _thing_.” 

Lydia raised a brow at that, the stubborn flare in her green eyes communicating that she expected details later before she turned her attention to the others joining them, Allison, Scott and Stiles heading over from the latter’s jeep while Isaac Lahey and another boy walked over from Vanessa’s car after spending the whole of the girl’s conversation trying to figure out the button to lock the darn thing up. 

Clearing her throat, the strawberry blonde took note of their uncharacteristically serious expressions before questioning, “What’s with the long faces?” 

“It’s a long story,” Allison sighed heavily before moving on to ask, “How was your weekend?” 

“Oh, you know, the usual,” Lydia shrugged, not wanting to go into detail about how she spent most of it screaming her lungs out and listening to a dead guy go on and on about his evil plans to get revenge and _blah, blah, blah_ , “I’d much rather talk about the whole ‘committed three crimes’ stuff you girlies got up to.” 

“That’s part of the long story that I’ll tell you on the way to homeroom – “ 

“ **ALLISON!** ” 

The had barely made it into the damn building when the dark haired girl’s name echoed through the busy hall, everybody whipping around to watch as a boy sprinted down the hall towards them, eyes wild and furious as they narrowed at the girls heading the group that had just walked in. 

Lydia didn’t know what to make of it but she had a sneaky suspicion that this guy, whoever the hell he was, was a pretty important part in it. 

\- 

“What do we do?” Erica whispered from where she stood to Vanessa’s left, stealing a glance at Allison on the far right, the girl’s face paling as they all watched frozen as Matt Daehler approached. 

Vanessa gritted her teeth to restrain herself from snapping her jaws at the boy before whispering furiously, “If he’s been let out, that means the restraining order went through.” 

“That also mean he’s not supposed to be within fifty feet of Allison,” Scott added, his hand sliding down his girlfriend’s arm to grab a hold of her hand as he gentle tugged her towards him, turning to make their way down the hall with a, “Come on, let’s get you to home room.” 

Stiles pulled a curious Lydia after them, followed by Boyd, who shadowed them all protectively, all of them sharing the same home room. The latter cast a concerned glance back at him but continued on with the others at Isaac’s nod. When the taller boy turned back, he caught the look in Matt’s eyes as they narrowed in the direction of the retreating girl and immediately moved to block his way. 

Leaning against the wall, his broad shoulders took up about a quarter of the corridor. The two girls moved to block the rest of the space, Erica leaning on the lockers on the other side with a wicked smirk and a dangerous glint in her eyes while Vanessa stood stock still in the middle, her whole demeanor changing from the casual, laid back greeting she gave Lydia at the front of the school to one of barely contained fury as she came face to face with Matt. 

“Take _one step_ towards her and I will give you the beating I’ve been _**begging**_ to give you all weekend,” the short brunette murmured in a low voice with a sickening sweet smile as she flashed warning signs up at the boy who had stopped short in front of her. 

“Fucking _**do it**_! We can add that to breaking and entering and damages to property. Funny how _I_ got dragged down to the station and had to stay there _overnight_ , but I didn’t see you even come in at least _once_ ,” Matt sneered, leaning down so his hot breathe hit her face as he spat viciously, “I guess that comes with the benefits of having a police deputy for a **mommy**.” 

Isaac let out a loud growl of warning, hackles raised at the threat to his girlfriend. She lifted a hand to let him know she had it handled before turning her attention back to the boy in front of her, unfazed by the malicious lilt to his tone or the violent promise in his eyes as she gave him a crooked grin. 

“Oh, good. I was hoping we’d be comparing crimes,” Vanessa shrugged with a flip of her ponytail as she tapped her chin in mock contemplation, “Let’s see, where to begin, where to begin? Ah! I know. So, let’s talk about the _stalking_ charges. What do you have to say about _that_?” 

“You mean the photos on my laptop? Did you tools forget I was part of the Yearbook committee?” 

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry! Were you planning to dedicate a good _two thirds_ of this year’s yearbook to Allison Argent - a sophomore and a girl who has been here for barely two months?” the brunette scoffed, shaking her head at him. 

“You know, you might have gotten away with the one’s you took at school - But - I'm curious, how exactly were you planning to explain the ones in _her front yard_? The one’s taken outside her bedroom window – which I don’t even _know_ how you got but then again, you somehow managed to get inside her _actual fucking **bedroom**_ so maybe I should be questioning that more! I know the police definitively are!” 

Matt’s head whipped around as her voice grew louder, taking in the number of stares they were receiving before he turned back towards her, lowering his voice to tauntingly whisper, “Like I told the police, that was _consensual_. Me and Allison…….we’re _friends_ , you see. _Very_ good friends. And the girl looks good under a lens. Anything else that’s been fed to you is obviously her trying to cover up so that she doesn’t anger dear old daddy when he finds out his daughter is a **slut**.” 

This time it was Erica who growled, kicking off the wall with a golden glint in her eyes as she hissed, “Say that again when your teeth get kicked in, _you son of a bitch_!” 

Vanessa moved forward, trying to pull his attention way from her friend as she told him, “Even if that _was_ true – and we both know _it’s fucking **not**_ \- she’s Allison Argent. Sure, she’s a social pariah now but she’s still one of the smartest, prettiest and one of the most wealthiest girls in this school. Why the fuck would she slum it with _you_?” 

Matt reared back at that, eyes widening in vulnerability as he swallowed hard. 

Vanessa lunged for the throat as she laughed in his face, “ _Exactly!_ You’re not only a stalker, a liar and a creep, but you’re also a fucking pervert. Actually, you’re more than that, aren’t you, _Matty_?” 

Erica took over this time, trying to channel the fury she felt into something other than ripping off the kid’s face as she circled him like a wolf circling a lamb, crooning in his ear, “I wonder if you would be all talk if everyone else had found that _little box_ in your room. You know, the one under your bed. The one with the _picture_ in it.” 

“I think it was that picture that was the nail in the coffin for you, _Matty_ ,” Vanessa sighed in mock pity, tapping her finger to her lip as she lowered her eyes, “You perverts and your cameras. Sure, digital is all the rage these days but for a _true_ photographer, you always **need** to have your work in physical form. That’s vintage, I can respect that – what I _don’t fucking respect in the least_ is you **breaking** into my best friend’s house, taking **pictures of her** while she slept with her **top pulled up** , and taking those pictures home to **tug at** because you can’t get **laid**.” 

Her voice hardened at the last bit as she pulled him by his shirt, snarling in his face, “That’s when it stops becoming _vintage_ and starts to become something those in the law enforcement call stalking, breaking and entering, unsolicited photographic material and _child pornography.”_

__

With a forceful shove, she let go of the boy and watched in mild satisfaction as he stumbled back in shock at the power behind the girl’s push, power fueled by pure, unadulterated hatred as she jeered, “I would say that my breaking and entering **pales** in comparison to the crimes you are now saddled up with.” 

__

“Oh, You’re gonna pay for that,” Matt chuckled darkly as he rolled his shoulders, preparing to barge past her again when a tall, solid body slid between him and the short girl, causing him to rebound hard. 

__

Raising his head to meet the fierce blue eyes of Isaac Lahey, he gulped when he saw them darken slightly with the promise of bloodshed if he even _thought_ about trying to approach the brunette again. 

__

Matt snorted at this and leaned around Isaac to mock her, “Gotta get your boyfriend to step in and help you when your words can’t save you?” 

__

Rolling her eyes at his attempts to rile her up, she leaned forward just a bit to whisper, “Consider yourself _lucky_ that we didn’t send you to prison. God knows, you’re gonna end up there sooner or later considering the crimes we caught you for aren’t _the least_ of the shit we have on you.” 

__

Matt’s brows hit his hairline as he asked slowly, “What’re you talking about?” 

__

Ignoring his question, Vanessa waved her fingers in the universal ‘Toodles’ farewell before spinning on her heel, relishing in the fear in the boy’s voice as he yelled after her, “ **YOU DON’T KNOW SHIT, VANESSA!** ” 

__

Vanessa sighed as she traveled down the hall with Erica by her side, a small, tired laugh leaving her lips as she thought to herself, _I know enough, and what I don’t know, I’ll find out soon._

__

_Matt Daehler would get his, he could count on that._

__

\- 

__

“ **YOU KNOW NOTHING!** ” Matt shouted after Vanessa’s retreating back as he pushed against Isaac’s solid stance, the boy turning to spit out in derision at his former childhood friend, “Let me go!” 

__

“ _My pleasure_ ,” Isaac grinned sharply, pushing him back with even more force than Vanessa had previously had, sending the boy straight into the lockers behind him. 

__

He turned to go follow the girls to their home room when he heard the boy snark at him, “Get your girlfriend under control, Lahey. We wouldn’t want her _hurting_ herself now, would we?” 

__

Like a flash, Matt found himself against the lockers once more, his head forced harshly into the red metal as fingers bruised his chin in their attempts to keep him there, Isaac’s answering snarl ringing in his ear, “ _Never, **ever**_ , threaten Vanessa again _or so help me God_ , I will **make** you regret it. Don’t doubt me on this, Matt, you **will** regret it.” 

__

Letting him go with a sneer of disgust, Isaac straightened the collar of his leather jacket, leaning down to retrieve his backpack from the floor before turning back around with a frown when he caught Matt mutter underneath his breathe, “ _Just like you’re father_ ……” 

__

What? 

__

“What did you just say?” 

__

_He did not just say what I think he just said._

__

Shaking his head with a dry smirk, Matt raised both his hands up on either side of him as he raised his voice, “ _I said_ you’re just like your father. And your brother.” 

__

_You’re just like your father. And your brother._

__

_Just like your father._

__

_And your brother._

__

_Your father._

__

_Your brother._

__

_Dad._

__

_Camden?_

__

“What the fuck are you talking about?” 

__

Matt scoffed like he just told a joke, turning away as the bell rang out for home room. Isaac let him go, still trying to process _what the fuck_ he just said. He stared at the spot the boy vacated for minutes, well after the crowd dispersed and Matt disappeared back the way he came after punching a locker hard. 

__

_Just like my father?_

__

Now, considering the fact that he had just thrown the boy around like he was his favorite rag doll, he understood where he was coming from. It wasn’t the comparison that pissed him off – well, _not completely_ , because he hated being compared to his father in any way, shape, or form. What he didn’t understand was how Matt knew to make the comparison in the first place. 

__

The last time the boy had come over was in middle school. He had asked Matt to swing by after school because he mentioned he had been looking online and at the local comic book store for a certain Spiderman volume. When Isaac had mentioned he had that same volume back at his, he offered to swap it for the X-Men volume he had seen Matt flicking through that same day. 

__

It didn’t make sense. They had stopped hanging out in middle school, at least two years before Camden had died and his father had started filling the void his mother and brother left with alcohol, long hours on the graveyard shift and using the basement as punishment to keep him in line. 

__

_And your brother._

__

No matter his confusion over his father, he at least made sense in trying to compare their violent natures. 

__

Bringing up his brother, now that _truly_ made no sense. It made his blood boil and his vision go red just thinking of it. 

__

Camden was **nothing** like their father. 

__

His older brother may as well have raised him because every important part of his life, he was there with an easy going smile and teasing punch to the shoulder, laughing out something along the lines of, ‘ _You got this, kid._ ’ 

__

Camden was the kind of big brother who would always be there to hold his hand, all the way up to his first day of primary school when Isaac insisted, after a sly comment from his father, that it wasn’t ‘manly’ to hold his brother’s hand anymore. Camden would just shrug, tighten his hold and just for the hell of it, start swinging their joined hands on the way to dropping him off at school. 

__

He would always invite Isaac to hang out with his friends, even when he went to high school and made new ones. The one that would never change was Kara, and her and Camden would always make room for him on the couch when they played video games or left a pizza in the pizza box for when he finally made it home that afternoon. It didn’t matter if he was six years younger than him and a year from finishing high school, he would always be there, with his arm slung around his shoulder and his hands ruffling up his hair. 

__

_"You gotta cut your hair if you ever want a shot at that girl you’re always mooning over."_

__

Camden was the only one who knew about how he felt about the mouthy, spitfire brunette who mouthed off at Nickson when he tried to give her detention. He was the only one who knew about the comebacks she shot off that day, or what she went to detention for that day or her incredible escape plans in class when the teacher wasn’t looking. 

__

But Isaac was. 

__

He was always looking at Vanessa O’Connor. 

__

Camden was the only one he ever told before he told the girl himself. 

__

Camden was the only one who ever had faith in him. He always had this tiny smirk on his face when Isaac went over and over about how her eyes were like the sky on a clear, summer’s day, so easy and creased at the corners with amusement except when a teacher would threaten her friends just to get her to cooperate, than they would turn to ice. 

__

_"Of course, my quiet, little brother would fall for a wild girl."_

__

He would sit there and listen though, even as Isaac went on for hours on end about how smart she was, smarter than the teachers who taught them. How she fired off insults and smirks like they were bullets, precise and impactful, never missing their target. 

__

_"Damn, maybe I should smuggle your girl to the army with me. Win us some wars, yeah?"_

__

Camden was confident like that, always using ‘your girl’ or ‘that girl of yours’, like it was **_inevitable_**. And back than, when his seventeen year old brother, who was well liked for his charm, his good-looks and his brains, told _him_ \- a gangly, shy eleven year old loner that _he_ could get the girl, he actually believed it. 

__

_You’re just like your father. And your brother._

__

Camden was **nothing** like their father and for Matt to say otherwise, especially in that acidic tone of his, made Isaac want to track him down and rip his intestines out of his stomach and use them as party streamers – 

__

“Isaac?” 

__

A small, gentle hand slid down his wrist before entwining itself with his fingers and just like that, his thoughts of bloody parties disappeared. 

__

Glancing down at the short brunette under his lashes as she appeared at his side, he ran his eyes over her and felt his blood cool, felt his claws shrink and grow blunt into nails, felt his wolf settle back into only the sort of calm _she_ could command. 

__

“Hey Handsome,” Vanessa whispered gently, brows furrowed in confusion as she looked up at him with those bright blue eyes he had admired for almost eight years, “Harris is in a bad mood this morning but I managed to talk him out of giving out detentions, somehow, I don’t know. It was a miracle – “ 

__

Her little laugh was cut off abruptly when she was pulled into his arms, Isaac bending his head to bury it in the nape of her neck to hide the glassiness of his eyes. Vanessa grew even more concerned at that; he could tell by the way she hesitated before wrapping her arms around his back. 

__

Vanessa being Vanessa didn’t need a reason from him, though, she just _knew_. 

__

“Hey, it’s okay,” she murmured to him softly, rubbing at his tense shoulders, “Whatever he said, it’s bullshit. Okay? Pure and utter **_bullshit_**.” 

__

Isaac nodded into her shoulder and let her words ring in his head. 

__

_It’s bullshit. It’s bullshit. It’s bullshit. It’s bullshit._

__

_He just wanted to get to me and I let him. I fucking let him._

__

_He’s full of shit._

__

_Camden was **not** our father._

__

_I’m not our father._

__

_He’s full of shit._

__

It was her voice that whispered those words into the inner depths of his mind, even as she led him back to their homeroom, wearing that adorable little scowl of hers as she rambled on and on, offering to kill Matt in a hundred different ways without anyone being none the wiser. It was her hand in his that anchored him to her, preventing him from running off and killing the boy himself. 

__

Or at least make him scream until he told Isaac what the fuck he was talking about. 

__

\- 

__

“Home sweet home!” Erica sang out as she waltzed down the rusty stairs, her heels clicking loudly and announcing to everyone that she was there. 

__

Her brown eyes glittered in amusement and keen interest as they ran over the figure in the middle of the room as the they went over some boxing moves. When she made it to the bottom, she dropped her bags next to the bench and leaned on the railing to study the boy as he ducked from an imaginary blow from his invisible opponent, breathing heavily as his arms shot out three jabs before he ducked again. 

__

She traced the hard lines of his bare abdomen, dark skin slick with sweat and contorting to dodge blow after blow, muscles tensing and flexing as he repeated his starter stance everytime the fight had been won or lost. Erica didn’t quiet know who was claiming victory, but she knew that the boy had been doing this for a while, probably as soon as school had ended, and Vanessa had dropped him off at the Den. 

__

“See something you like Erica?” Isaac called out from her far left, where he sat at the table opposite to their brooding Alpha, who was keeping up a steady glare at the Beta across from him. 

__

Erica glanced back at Boyd, who had stopped when hearing Isaac’s voice and had turned to stare at the blonde as he wiped the sweat from his hairlines, his dark eyes unfathomable to her in that moment as he panted from his exercise. 

__

Her skin started to tingle at the attention, attention that was so blissfully new and exhilarating that Erica couldn't help but give him another once over with a playful smile before making her way over to the table to sit down, just missing the moment that Boyd’s jaw dropped as his eyes trailed her. 

__

“Alright, I’ve been here, _what_? Five seconds and he’s _already_ grumpy?” she announced with a heavy sigh as she set her elbows on the table and placed her chin in the palm of her hands as she glanced at them both before huffing impatiently, “Is someone gonna explain or am I going to be left to stew in all these bad vibes?” 

__

Isaac sighed deeply, picking at his nails as he drawled, “I told Derek that he’s been invited to the O’Connor’s for dinner tomorrow night.” 

__

The blonde raised her brows at this, processing what he just told her, taking her time to actually imagine it before throwing her head back laughing. It was a good laugh, she’d admit. A really hearty laugh that had you grasping at your chest as tears wet the corners of your eyes. 

__

“ _Are you done?_ ” Derek grunted, sliding his eyes over to her to give her an unimpressed look, “It’s really **not** that funny.” 

__

“ _Excuse me?_ Have you **met** you? The mere _thought_ of you sitting down at a table with those two women is enough to make anyone piss themselves laughing!” 

__

Red eyes flashing, her Alpha whipped his head towards her to growl, “ **Remember your place, _Beta_**.” 

__

“ _De-rek_.” 

__

The familiar voice crackling in static had all the wolves whipping their heads in the direction of the phone in Isaac’s hand, the boy looking quiet dubious on why he was holding it up in the first place when his Alpha’s red eye glare landed on him fiercely as he muttered in disdain. 

__

“Vanessa.” 

__

“ _Yes, it’s me. Don’t cream your pants and **don’t fucking yell** at my friends,” the girl on the phone snapped back, “My moms’ asked me to tell you that dinner will be ready at seven, so I suggest you come around about quarter to_.” 

__

“Tell them that I’m _grateful_ for the offer but I have plans,” Derek replied back through gritted teeth as he snarked, “Or did you forget that there’s a kanima still running lose out there or the fact hunters are still roaming the town looking to kill us all?” 

__

“ _Did **you** forget my mom is a deputy in the Sheriff’s department and that she’s aware that you are the one who hid Isaac when he was on the run?_” 

__

Derek reared back at that, a hiss of air escaping him before he covered up his shock by rubbing at his jaw. 

__

Vanessa sensed this – _because duh, she’s Vanessa_ – and practically oozed self-satisfaction as she drawled, “ _That’s right. And despite the fact she is **highly** suspicious of you, she’s kept that little tidbit to herself over the course of her month **despite** the fact she could lose her job._” 

__

“Aw,” Erica crooned, smiling slightly as she turned her head to look at Derek, “Isn’t Sarah just the _nicest_?” 

__

“She’s a _**cop**_ ,” Derek spat back before turning towards the phone in Isaac’s hands as he pointed out, “What if it’s a trap?” 

__

“ _Dude, **please**. If it’s a trap, I wouldn’t be there and neither would Lisa or Nathaniel. Mom wouldn’t risk our lives if she was setting up a dinner to trap a dangerous criminal_,” Vanessa reasoned, her eye roll obvious in her tone as she softened it a bit to explain, “ _Look, they’re just concerned about who’s taking care of Isaac. They wanted to foster him but with the baby and everything, they didn’t have any room. So, they just want to make sure that Isaac’s being well looked after_.” 

__

“He’s alive, isn’t he?” 

__

Isaac raised a brow at that. 

__

Erica and Vanessa just snorted, the latter responding sarcastically, “ _Yeah, because we all know what your definition of ‘alive’ is, don’t we Derek? Hiding from the hunters, living in an abandoned railway depot and – if it wasn’t for me – literally **hunting** for your food_.” 

__

Derek didn’t appreciate the sarcasm as much as his two Betas, who muffled their laughter behind dry coughs and cleared throats. 

__

The Alpha growled, “ **Your _point_ , Vanessa**?” 

__

“ _My point is that it’s not a trap, it just a dinner, do it so you don’t get arrested and Isaac doesn’t get taken away by Child Protective Services. Oh, and wear something nice_.” 

__

“Wear something – “ 

__

The dial tone clicked off to signal that she hung up. The Den descended into silence as the Betas turned to Derek to watch his reaction carefully, trying to pinpoint in his slowly unraveling expressions the moment where he came to his decision. When he did, with explicit reluctance, Isaac finally spoke up with amusement thick in his tone. 

__

“Soooo, did you want to borrow something of mine or – “ 

__

He was cut off by Derek’s roar, a loud rumble that shook the building and sent the hairs sticking up on the Betas necks before it was followed swiftly by Erica’s laughter as she fell back in her seat, legs kicked up in the air and blonde hair sweeping the dirty floor. 

__

She laughed and laughed at what her Alpha had gotten himself into and didn’t pity him one bit as he stormed out of the Den with his silver debit card clutched tightly in his hand. 

__

_Oh, I hope Vanessa’s films this dinner of hers. Maybe I can use it for my Home Video assignment._

__


	33. I'm Not Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I thought you said that Sarah just wanted to talk?”
> 
> “You’ve been there before when Sarah just wanted to ‘talk’. It’s like getting interrogated by the KGB.”
> 
> “I think it’s more of a lecture from Harris during detention.”
> 
> “That’s literally what I just said. KGB interrogation all the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I just wanted to say that I am so happy people enjoyed the mini-Allison arc that I created from the canon materials. I was kind of hesitant at first because it would be diverging from canon into unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory for some but I am glad that it worked out well.  
> \- You guys will be happy to hear that after this chapter, I will be aligning back into canon and that the Full Moon chapter will be coming up soon. I think I will be splitting it into 2 to 3 different parts so it will be drawn out but to be fair, a lot of stuff happens in that episode so.  
> \- Anyway, I hope you guy enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think in the comments below and just a friendly reminder that all feedback, criticism and suggestions are welcomed and deeply appreciated by yours truly!

For the first time in her life, Vanessa had no idea what she was supposed to wear. 

Ever since she was ten years old and had mastered how to dress without embarrassing herself, she had pre-planned her outfits for every occasion based on how she predicted the day was going to go, taking into account the weather, the season, where she was going, when she was going, who she was going with, how she was going and why she was going. All pretty important aspects in building an outfit. 

She never expected a dinner with her parents and Derek Hale to be an aspect she had to consider. Like ever. What kind of dinner was this? She had told the man to dress nice, but she didn’t know if she meant fancy nice or just, you know, clean. She had taken a peek over the banister to see what Sarah and Lisa went with and was pleasantly surprised when she caught sight of Sarah in a black dress shirt and matching pants with Lisa wearing a creamy white cashmere turtleneck with skinny jeans. 

_Oh great, the whole yin and yang shenanigans. Derek is totally gonna get grilled. **Hard**._

Her phone beeped to signal that she had a message from Erica and the girl grinned as she swiped to bring it up. Did she say message? No, it was a full blown picture and a very blurry one at that. Sitting at the bottom left in his designated camp chair in the makeshift kitchen, dressed in black jeans and a dark blue button down with two fingers raised above his hairline in a salute, was Isaac. A little smirk was obviously playing on his lips when the photo was taken and when she shifted her attention to the top center, she soon realized why. 

In a blurry haze, Derek’s figure could be made out, wearing a dark dress shirt rolled up to his elbows and dark jeans. His eyes were curiously hidden under a flash of light reflected off of them, but she could tell that his jaw was dropped in a mid-snarl. 

“He looks like he’s having fun,” Vanessa murmured to herself with a smirk before she started typing out a message to her friend. 

**VANESSA: _What’s up with Derek’s eyes? Do you need a new phone?_**

**ERICA: _LOL. No, Derek said that the flash catches our wolf eyes or something like that._**

**VANESSA: _That’s pretty cool but what the fuck are we going to do about Polaroids?_**

**ERICA: _IDK. Wear sunglasses? Close my eyes? Turn my head slightly?_**

**ERICA: _Don’t take Polaroids maybe?_**

**VANESSA: _Whatever. Are they on their way?_**

**ERICA: _They’re leaving in 10 minutes._**

**ERICA: _Or whenever Derek stops growling at us._**

**ERICA: _Make it 15._**

**VANESSA: _Great that gives me time to get ready._**

**ERICA: _WHAT?!! How are you NOT ready yet?_**

“Good fucking question, Erica,” Vanessa groaned out loud, chucking her phone onto her bed before turning to her closet with a determined look. 

_The whole point of this is to pretend like it’s just a dinner where my boyfriend is meeting my moms and I am meeting my boyfriend’s dad_. 

Throwing her head back laughing at the realization that _Derek_ would be playing Isaac’s dad for the night, she quickly pulled out a grey, sleeveless turtleneck top and a pair of dark grey skinny jeans, deciding to pick up a pair of black flats from the floor of her closet before quickly changing. She tied her hair up in a high ponytail before sitting on her bed to check her phone again. 

Sure enough, Erica sent through another picture with the caption, ‘They’re leaving now.’ 

This photo was significantly less blurry and in any other circumstances, she would have cooed over how domestic it looked. It seemed that Erica had somehow shoved Derek and Isaac under the only good light the depot had and made them stand still long enough for her to take a picture. Isaac was leaning against the counter, one leg propped on the wooden cupboard underneath while glancing at the man beside him with a crooked grin. Derek, with his arms crossed over his chest, had put on a grey jacket that made him seem semi-normal if you could ignore the fierce death glares he was giving the camera, or more specifically, the girl behind the camera. 

“It’s a wonder she still has a phone after that one,” Vanessa murmured to herself with a small smile before saving the picture and shoving her phone into her side pocket, getting off her bed with a little sigh and walking out of her a bedroom with a, “It’s showtime!” 

Taking the stairs two at a time, she reached the bottom and called out, “Do you guys need help with anything?” 

“You can set the table,” Lisa replied over her shoulder as she checked the oven, the aroma of a well-cooked roast wafting out and causing the brunette to practically salivate as she opened the drawer to pull out the knives and forks, carrying over to the table and placing them in their appropriate places before stepping back to view her work. 

There were five place sets in total. Sarah would be sitting at the head of the table, per her usual spot, with Lisa to her right and Vanessa next to Lisa. Isaac would sit across from Vanessa, leaving Derek with a seat to Sarah’s left. 

It was a strategic positioning on Sarah’s part, meant to intimidate and to coax a certain amount of tension from the man joining them for dinner that night and the extent to which Derek would succumb to that tension would determine his innocence in the eyes of the two women, humming to themselves in the kitchen as if they weren’t evil masterminds. 

Vanessa sighed as she watched them and thought to herself, _I had to get it from somewhere_. 

A knock on the door broke her out of her thoughts and she felt all of her muscles tense in anticipation as the two women stiffen up from in the kitchen, sending little smirks to each other as if she couldn’t see them before Lisa asked casually, “Ness, sweetie, can you answer the door?” 

“On it!” 

_Maybe I can warn Derek before he makes it into the dining room. What with the six feet of time and space that it takes to cross the foyer._

Vanessa took a deep breathe, preparing herself mentally and physically for how exhausting the evening will be before opening the door to find Derek and Isaac on the other side. Isaac, with his hands shoved in his pockets and shuffling around nervously, stopped when she opened the door, giving her an easy smile that softened his brows and the tightness in his shoulders as he gave her an appreciative once over. 

_Why does he have to give me that look?_

Derek, on the other hand, looked _possessed_. When she said possessed, she meant unnatural. Because he was actually _smiling_ at her too. Like it **_glittered_** , for God’s sake! His teeth were straight and white and glistening and visible in a formation that actually came across _charming_ and not threatening in the slightest. Taking a moment to brace herself against the door, she tore her eyes away from _that fucking smile_ to look at Isaac, who was looking back at her with a raised eyebrow. 

Leaning forward with an uneasy glance at Derek, she whispered to her boyfriend, “Is he okay?” 

“ _He_ ,” Derek began with an annoyed sigh that did nothing to wipe away the smile on his face, “Is standing right next to you, Vanessa.” 

“I don’t know,” she murmured, shaking her head at him in uncertainty, “I feel like I’m in _Invasion of the Body Snatchers_.” 

Derek chuckled, literally chuckled at her, as he made his way inside but not before leaning forward slightly to whisper in her ear, “You have no idea.” 

Shaking her head once more, she shut the door behind the two males before turning to them both with her hands extended on either side of her as she greeted sarcastically, “Welcome to our humble abode!” 

“Nessie, have our guests arrived?” Lisa called out in faux surprised before walking in from the kitchen, dusting her hands off on her apron before looking up at the two newcomers with a warm smile, “Hello, you must be Derek.” 

She extended a hand out towards him and to the eternal shock of Vanessa, the man grinned down at the short blonde woman before sweeping her hand up in a friendly handshake - _that scared the living shit out of her_ \- as he replied with equal warmness, “Derek Hale, it’s a pleasure to meet you. You must be…..Lisa?” 

“Good guess,” Lisa nodded with an approving smile, before turning to Isaac beaming, “Isaac, sweetheart, it’s nice to see you again. I missed you.” 

“Mom, you _literally_ saw him yesterday,” Vanessa pointed out with an eye roll that was promptly ignored by the woman as she moved over to envelope the tall boy in a hug. Isaac didn’t look like he minded, his eyes softening as he leaned down to hug her back, meeting Vanessa’s laughing eyes over her shoulder with a cocky smile before he pulled back. 

Derek, as if on cue, produced a bottle from out of literal nowhere and extended it towards Lisa as he explained casually, “I thought it would be rude to show up empty handed considering you took time out of your busy schedule to have me and Isaac over for dinner. I hope this conveys our appreciation.” 

Lisa raised a brow at that as she took the bottle, inspecting it with a casual glance before her eyes widened and her smile grew as she whistled lowly, “ _Belle Glos_. Very, _very_ nice.” 

Derek smiled at her, nodding along, “ _Las Alturas Pinot Noir_.” 

“This _is_ much appreciated,” she told him, glancing over her shoulder to mouth to Vanessa, ‘ _Very_ much appreciated’ with an accompanying wink, before turning to the two males and gesturing with her free hand, “Dinner is just about ready, so I’ll show you to the dining room. Nessa, sweetie, do you mind getting Nathaniel while I show Derek and Isaac where to sit?” 

“Actually, Lisa, I think I’ll go with Ness,” Isaac piped up, moving quickly to join his girlfriend at the bottom of the stairs. 

Vanessa stifled her laughter when she saw Derek’s friendly composure falter as he shot both of the kids a warning look before the brunette began pulling the boy up the stairs, giggling slightly when Lisa hollered to her wife in the kitchen, “Sarah, honey, look what Derek brought us! More wine!” 

As soon as they made it into the nursery, the two teenagers couldn’t hold their mirth back much longer. Laughter spilled out of them as they collapsed against each other, their nerves dissipating as his arms came up around her. He lowered his chin down to rest gently on top of her head as they swayed slightly in each other’s embrace. 

“Now _that_ went better than I thought it would,” Isaac told her as he held her close, pressing a gentle kiss against the crown of her head. 

“How did you think it was going to go?” 

“Not like that.” 

Vanessa pulled back giggling, holding out her arms on either side as she drawled with a playful grin, “So, aren’t you gonna tell me how nice I look?” 

Isaac shook his head at her in amusement, lips curling up at the corners as he strode forward slowly, his blue eyes gazing at her in adoration as he brought his hands up to cradle her cheeks. The brunette leaned into his hands, soaking up their warmth as he whispered quietly, “Beautiful doesn’t even begin to cover it.” 

Tilting her head back to smile brightly up at him, she raised herself onto her tipy toes to close the distance between them – 

A sharp cry caused them to jump back from each other, Vanessa’s hand flying to her chest to steady her speeding heart while Isaac whipped around in the direction of the sound. Waltzing over to the crib, the two teenagers peered in to find baby Nathaniel awake, eyes squeezed shut as he cried, kicking his cotton covered feet at the blanket tangled around his feet. 

“I missed you too, little man,” Isaac laughed softly, reaching into the crib to pick him up and hold him to his chest as he leaned closer to his girlfriend to whisper, “Your brother is acting more like a brother every single day – interrupting us in our little moment.” 

Vanessa raised a brow at him, as he didn’t sound too down ridden by that. Shaking her head at the fact that her brother was already stealing her boyfriend barely a week since being born, she leaned into the crib to pick up her brother’s blanket and the little black dog in the corner, wrapping the stuffed animal in the canary yellow cloth before propping it between her brother and Isaac’s chest in a stable position before stepping back to admire her work. 

Isaac was too busy telling Nathaniel about his day to notice her pulling out her phone. He only turned his head when the flash went off from his peripheral. A crooked smile curled up on his lips as he turned them slightly to pose for her as she took another picture and she felt her heart warm at the sight. Tousled dark blonde curls, the blue button down shirt bringing out the deep set blue of his eyes and the baby in his arms made her want to melt right than and there and _he fucking knew it_. 

Chuckling softly under his breathe, he asked her, “Like what you see?” 

Rolling her eyes despite the red flush spreading across her cheeks, she waved him off, “Oh shut up! Let’s go back downstairs and make sure Derek hasn’t been arrested.” 

“I thought you said that Sarah just wanted to talk?” 

“You’ve been there before when Sarah just wanted to ‘talk’. It’s like getting interrogated by the KGB.” 

“I think it’s more of a lecture from Harris during detention.” 

“That’s literally what I just said. KGB interrogation all the way.” 

They headed back downstairs and found Derek and Lisa chatting in the dining room, the blonde woman already nursing a glass of the Bella Gos in her hand while Derek had his own hand clenched around a glass of water. 

“Are you _sure_ you don’t want to have a glass of wine, Derek?” Sarah called out from the kitchen, leaning around the archway to give the man an easy smile that stopped short at her eyes, her dark gaze narrowed and calculating as she pressed on, “Or maybe a Scotch?” 

Derek didn’t waver in his own friendly smile – I can’t believe he has one of those – as he insisted with a laugh, “Thank you again but I’m driving us back home after this, so I will be grateful just to have water for the rest of the evening.” 

The dark haired woman nodded slightly at that, and Vanessa could tell that her mother was impressed with the way he could maintain cordial and firm in his responsible decision, especially since she knew that Sarah probably had tested him about three times since her and Isaac went to the nursery to get Nathaniel. 

Interrupting before the woman could move on to physically waving the bottle in Derek’s face, Vanessa cleared her throat to announce their presence. Derek turned around slowly in the chair, his smile steadfast but his eyes threatening them silently before they settled on the small bundle in Isaac’s arm and froze. 

Smirking at his reaction to the baby, Vanessa gestured for Isaac to bring the baby closer as she said, “Derek, I want you to meet my little brother. This is little Nathaniel. Nathaniel O’Connor.” 

\- 

#### Meanwhile.....

“So, tell me, what are we doing out here again?” Boyd questioned for the third time since they had arrived at the Beacon Hills Preserve, bundled up in an old black hoodie and jeans that were tucked into combat boots that trudged over the sticks and leaves littering the forest floor. 

The blonde girl released a heavy sigh from beside him, and he felt guilt flash up within him at bothering her with his questions before pushing it back down as she flashed a small smile up at him before answering, “Stiles sent me a text asking us to meet him. He said that his father received a call about a body being found out here.” 

Erica had been content to just sit down in the Den with Boyd watching movies on her laptop and ravaging for snacks but a message from Stiles had the blonde girl barking for them both to dress in warm, dark clothes, brows furrowed in contemplation as she pulled up Derek’s number before clicking off her phone and making her way out. 

The two Betas had jogged all the way to the Preserve on the other side of town, constantly looking over their backs and reaching out with their senses in case they were being followed. Despite their easy demeanor, they were still wary. Vanessa’s worry for her friends had settled into them after long lectures and seeing the girl act at school, conscious that their principal was the big, bad hunter who wanted to see them all dead. 

“If he’s already out here, where – “ Boyd began to question before he caught a scent on the wind, shoulders tensing as he stopped, inhaling to get a stronger sense of the person that had seemingly been following them for a few minutes now. 

Erica had sensed the feeling of a warm body, a few feet away and glanced up to meet Boyd’s own golden eyed gaze before nodding in agreement at their next course of action. Breathing in and out to maintain control, they both thought about the thing that helped center them. 

For the girl, it was Vanessa’s words of advice, it was her Alpha’s proud gaze when she almost bested him in training, it was Isaac’s laughter as they teasing Derek and it was one of the rare, genuine smiles that Boyd gave her when she made a hilariously bad joke or when she went on a rant about the difference between a nerd and a geek. 

For the boy, it was the promise of friendship from the words of a strange girl, it was Derek’s hand clasped over his shoulder as he brought him into the Den, it was Isaac’s knowing look when he caught him staring at Erica for too long and it was finally the blonde girl who ran beside him, her scent, the quiet hitches in her breath and the thought that he had to keep control if he wanted to protect them, to pull himself back. 

With their canines bared and their claws sharp, the two crept around the tree where the heat signature of a human male hid. With one last glance of understanding between the two werewolves, the bigger and bulkier of the two let out a roar as he lunged for the human male’s collar, lifting him up high and shoving him back against the tree, the shorter of the two bringing up her claws to bring against the human male’s throat. 

The flashlight in the human male’s hand flicked up to shine on the two werewolves, blinding their night vision and causing them to flinch back slightly, blinking away the black spots in their eyes before glancing back at the human male hanging in their grasp, his gasps of terror leveling out as he lowered the flashlight enough so that they could see his face. 

“What the _hell_ do you think you’re doing?!” Stiles Stilinski shrieked at them, face pale and breathe gushing out harshly as he pushed against Boyd’s hand stabilizing him halfway off the ground with an annoyed huff, “Dude, let me down!” 

The two werewolves sighed in relief, backing away and letting the boy down to stumble ungracefully before he gathered his bearings. Stiles glanced up at them with incredulous eyes as dramatically rubbed at his chest, before looking around muttering to himself, “You guys are the most violent people, I swear to God, every time I’m around you I’m getting shoved up against the wall or growled at or threatened with bodily harm or – “ 

“Being knocked unconscious with the engine of your own jeep before being left in a dumpster?” Erica added with a glint in her eyes that made Stiles step back a few paces, but not without pointing at her accusingly. 

“Yeah, that too,” he shot back, nodding furiously before calming down enough to ask in a small voice, “How’d you guys know I was there?” 

“Your heat signature. And your scent – which by the way, what is up with that? Are you wearing _Armani_?” 

“Yeah, I borrowed some from Danny today.” 

“Don’t. It doesn’t mix well with your androsterone.” 

The Betas began walking ahead in the same direction as they had been before they jumped Stiles, Boyd walking at the front to catch a scent of the dead body the police had found while Erica waited for Stiles to catch up so she could fall back to watch for anyone trying to sneak up on them. She hid a grin when she heard Stiles muttering about how 'someone could have mentioned that Armani only smelt good with different scents’ before following behind. 

“Soooooo, where’s your Alpha tonight?” Stiles asked after a few minutes of silence, Boyd’s tiny groan drowned out by Stiles’ sarcastic drawl and only heard by Erica with the help of her enhanced hearing, “What _does_ Derek do in his spare time? I’ve always wondered about that. Does he hunt down rabbits? Does he play fetch? Does he – “ 

“Derek is over at the O’Connor’s for dinner,” Erica informed him, a little smile playing on her lips when she watched him whip around to give her a shocked look as she continued on, “Sarah wanted to make sure that Isaac had a place to stay and someone to take care of him so she wanted to meet Derek.” 

“And that sounded like a _good_ idea?” 

Boyd stopped where he was at the head of the group with growl and turned around to glare down at the shorter boy as he reminded him in a low voice, “Look, think what you want about Derek but keep your opinions to yourself. He’s still our Alpha and he has done more for all of you than you will ever know.” 

Ignoring Stiles’ raised eyebrow, the boy whipped around and continued walking, throwing back over his shoulder gruffly, “It’s this way.” 

\- 

The man had risen slowly out of his seat, eyes locked on the baby who had settled it’s head on Isaac’s chest and was staring at his sister’s shoulder as she moved away to give Derek a chance to see the baby. She didn’t really know how to describe the look in the Alpha’s eyes as he leaned down slightly to gaze into the baby’s pale blue eyes but she could say with the fullest certainty that it was the softest she had seen the man since she had met him. There was no hint of the menacing, brooding, grumpy Alpha werewolf she had come to know and instead for once, he looked like he was any other person. It was disconcerting and yet very sweet to see Derek Hale of all people change in front of her in the presence of a baby. 

“His name’s Nathaniel?” Derek asked quietly, voice suspiciously rough as his eyes moved to take in the black plush dog with blue glass eyes wrapped in the yellow blanket, dwarfing the baby. 

“Yep, named after Sarah’s grandfather,” Vanessa explained, still wearing her amused smile as she moved to take the baby out of Isaac’s arms, shooting her boyfriend a look when he pouted at her. 

She moved to set him in Lisa’s arms, the woman nonchalantly pulling down her shirt so that the babe could suckle at her breast. While Isaac looked away with a blush to protect her modesty, Derek merely smiled warmly and asked, “How did you end up with him?” 

“His mother and father were killed a week ago. The father died from severe wounds in their motor home, on the outskirts of the Preserve. The mother survived, ranting about monsters with glowing yellow eyes and scales, and the stress sent her into early labor and her poor heart gave out on her not long after she gave birth to this little treasure,” Lisa explained to Derek, sadness tinging her words as guilt flashed across her eyes, “I was one of the nurses who delivered her and I just – I just couldn’t stand the thought of him being so alone in the world.” 

Derek nodded at this and said, sounding genuinely admiring, “It’s a good thing you did. Taking him in when nobody would.” 

The blonde woman shrugged it off, “It seems like it’s a running theme in this family. We adopted Nessie, we adopted Nathaniel – Hell, we were going to adopt Isaac but with the baby – “ 

“That’s why we were so _relieved_ when we heard about him staying with you,” Sarah chimed in as she walked around the corner carrying the roast chicken, placing it in the middle before stepping back to take the oven mitts off and to retrieve her glass before taking her seat at the table, “Tell us more about that, Derek.” 

That same easy-going grin spread across the man’s face again as he turned to the head of the table, seemingly gathering his words and considering them carefully before taking a sip of his water with a teasing, “Are you trying to get me indicted?” 

Sarah threw her head back to laugh at that, swatting at the air fiercely and causing Derek to sit back a bit in an attempt at dodging her hands before she waved it off, “No, no, nothing like that. Just curious how a guy of your…… _reputation_ ended up risking everything to help out a kid, alone on the street and on the run at that – _especially_ with your own history with the law enforcement.” 

“ ** _Mom_** ,” Vanessa grunted, shooting a look at Lisa to say something to stop the interrogation. 

Instead of listening to her pleas, the blonde woman leaned forward slightly, mindful of the baby still at her breast, and questioned, “Actually, I was curious about that too. It would take a great deal of courage and perseverance to take in Isaac _and_ risking severe jail time. How does a man like you do that?” 

Derek cleared his throat, ducking his head in faux humbleness that had the teenage girl across the table gaping at him as he answered, “Well, I don’t know what you mean when you say a ‘man like me’ but I know what it means to be accused of a crime that I didn’t commit. For a teenager, that was bound to be twice, if not ten times as frightening so....I took him in. I knew that he was Vanessa’s friend at the time – she and I had talked a bit after she helped clear my name, so she told me what had happened. I knew he was probably on the streets and so – “ 

“You went out looking for him?” Lisa gasped in surprise as if seeing him in a brand-new light as she whispered to Sarah, “Can you believe it, honey? He went out _looking_ for the boy because he knew how tough the streets were for him, isn’t that just the kindest thing you have ever heard someone do?” 

“The _kindest_ ,” Sarah mumbled sarcastically, eyeing the man up and down suspiciously as he smiled back at her before raising her fork to gesture between him and her daughter as she questioned, “So, how do you know my daughter and her friends? That time they got attacked in the school, Vanessa said you were there to meet with them. What was that all about?” 

Vanessa froze in her seat, sending panicked looks at Isaac, who in turn shrugged helplessly back as he glanced at Derek beside him, who had also stilled. Sarah looked triumphant, seemingly relishing in the panic welling up in the room as she sat back in her seat, bringing up the carrot on her fork to her lips to bite it as she stared down the man to her left. 

“I guess,” he began with a sigh, shooting a seemingly apologetic look at Vanessa before admitting, “It all started when I found her, Stiles and Scott on my old family property. They had been trespassing, you see, trying to find Scott’s inhaler that he had dropped the night before when they went out searching for the dead body they found in the woods back in January.” 

Vanessa’s jaw dropped. 

_Hold the fuck up._

_Is he…..telling them the **truth**?_

She, at least, got the satisfaction of seeing Sarah lose the triumphant air around her as she and Lisa screeched loudly, “ **What?** ” 

From Lisa’s chest, the bundle that was Nathaniel cried out at the loud noise and the blonde woman rushed to coo at him reassuringly, all the while sending her daughter a look that quiet clearly said ‘Explain.’ 

“Hey, hey, hey!” Vanessa rushed out, holding out her hands to calm them down, “I wasn’t with them when they went out that night. My car broke down and I had to get a tow-truck to fix it! I was only there for the trespassing!” 

“Oh, and that’s supposed to make us feel so much _better_?” Lisa shot back sarcastically as she sent Sarah a look that said, ‘Can you believe this child?’ 

Sarah, on the other hand, was much to preoccupied with staring down Derek once more as she leaned forward to question, “So, what happened after that?” 

“Well, I saw them around town a couple of times, but I noticed that the boy, Stiles, was investigating the murders. My sister was the first victim and I wanted to keep track of the police’s investigation,” Derek explained, rubbing his neck sheepishly before sighing, “It wasn’t right, but I asked the boy to help me investigate what was happening and to hopefully keep an eye out for the perpetrator myself. That night, Stiles had called me around to the school because he said that he had information. Before I knew it, someone came up from behind and knocked me out.” 

“What about the vet we found in the back seat of your car?” 

“Mom, I told you. Derek explained how he was _framed_. We didn’t even see Dr Deaton until after he was in the ambulance!” 

Derek nodded in agreement, “I talked with the man and he explained how he must have been seriously concussed. He was extremely sorry for misidentifying me and has even offered to give me.......a discount at the vet." 

_More like Scott convinced him to let you enter the building now that you're all 'buddy buddy' with each other. Props on the bullshit, Derek._

Sarah hummed as she forked at her roast potatoes still not letting up on her own investigation of who exactly Derek Hale was as she clarified, “So, let me get this straight. You met with a bunch of _kids_ at the high-school in the _middle of their night_ to talk about an ongoing _murder_ investigation when you were 'knocked out' by the suspected murderer and just – What? _Disappeared_? The kids said that you had hit your head and that you looked like you had been killed - but you were no where to be found.” 

“No, I admit, I woke up probably just before the police arrived. I had a broken arm and probably a severe concussion and I practically limped out of there. I didn’t see anyone else so I thought they must have gotten away. If I knew they were still in that building, I would have gone in and got them out myself. If I knew that Vanessa was trapped in that jeep, I would have taken her with me to the hospital, but I didn’t, and I can’t begin to express how sorry I was that I didn’t.” 

Vanessa released a heavy sigh from her seat. It felt so weird hearing Derek talk all genuine and nice and stuff and she decided he was probably losing his mind at this phony persona he had to put on. She decided to put the usually grumpy Alpha out his misery as she cried out, “Mom, _please_. He already apologized and he even agreed to buy pizza every time I come over to visit Isaac. _That_ – in my opinion and in consideration for how _**expensive**_ _Dominos_ is these days – is the best apology I’ve ever received so if we could please drop the interrogation? Pretty please?” 

“Who’s interrogating? I’m not interrogating!” Sarah shook her head innocently, throwing up her hands in surrender. 

Lisa chuckled at her partner’s theatrics, rocking her son close as she turned to Derek with a sweet, serene smile as she apologized, “We're sorry for giving you the third degree. It’s our nature as parents to be constantly worried about our kids – I’m sure you will find out all about that while taking care of Isaac.” 

The rest of the table fell silent at that. Derek stiffened in his chair and – she saw it so clearly - the exact moment dread passed behind his dark, brown eyes as he turned his head slowly to meet hers. 

Isaac had cleared his throat, dropping his fork onto his plate loudly as he reached over to take a sip of his glass of cola when he saw the expression on his girlfriend’s face and noticed that her mouth seemed full, her drink hovering in the air between her lips and the table. 

Seeing Derek’s look of dread and Isaac’s eyes full of mirth was the tipping point. 

Cola sprayed from her nose and mouth, landing on the roast in the middle of the table and touching everybody’s plate. Spit and soft drink dribbled down her chin and her throat and nostrils burned at the unfamiliar sensation. Her eyes teared up in hilarity and embarrassment as she met Isaac’s eyes from across the table once more. 

Only for him to spit out the rest of his drink he had been unable to swallow, adding to the mess of the dining table, the food and the atmosphere as the two children laughed in their chairs, barely able to breathe at the thought. 

_Derek was officially Isaac’s father now_. 

\- 

As winter receded, so did the thick mist that usually frequented the forest of the Beacon Hills Preserve. This made it easier for Stiles to keep up with the likes of Erica and Boyd, who may as well have been walking in pure daylight, what with their night vision and heightened senses. The downside to having no mist, meant that there was no cover to hide in when they would inevitably catch up with the police. 

It was Boyd who had heard them first, holding out his hand to halt the boy and girl following close behind him as he cocked his head to the side to listen out for them, to see how far away they were. 

“What? What is it? What can you hear?” Stiles questioned curiously, whipping his head around as if by physically seeing the deputies, he might be able to gain the ability to hear them too. 

“Nothing if you don’t shut up,” Boyd grunted in frustration, sending an annoyed glance at the boy who mimed zipping his mouth before turning back to listen out, brows furrowed as he told them in a whisper, “They’ve found the body…..it seems that a jogger came across it on their run this afternoon…..they have identified the person as being female……your Dad just arrived……” 

“Wait, _what_?” Stiles whipped his head up, moving forward and squinting in the same direction Boyd was staring in as he whispered to himself, “What’s he doing there? He’s not the Sheriff anymore – he shouldn’t be here right now.” 

“Somebody else had the same idea,” Boyd added in a quiet voice as he told the boy next to him, “Seems that whoever called him thought your old man would just write the information down as it came in.” 

Stiles snorted at that with a, “Yeah right. Dream on” 

Erica shifted on her feet in anticipation before asking, “Should we go closer?” 

Boyd looked hesitant before nodding back, taking lead again. The teenagers, now aware that they were close to the deputies, put in effort to make sure they stayed quiet, shoulders hunched and their breaths shallow as they slowly made their way to the slope where, on the other side, they heard the voices of someone barking out orders and Stiles’ father arguing with someone else before someone sighed heavily, seemingly relenting to let the man stay on the scene. 

“Good ole’ Dad, wearin’ them down,” Stiles muttered under his breathe with a proud smirk before getting on his belly and crawling up to the top of the slope, Boyd and Erica coming up on either side of him to peer down at where the officers were standing around a lone tree, forensics already there and taking photographs of the body on the ground. 

Erica sniffed slightly from the left, holding a hand to her nose as tears watered her eyes but she didn’t look away as they all watched the former Sheriff approach the body, the man huddled in his thick, jacket and looking colder with every step he took towards the tree. 

Stiles frowned at the sight of his father’s face paling as he crouched down, shining his torch light on what they presumed to be the woman’s face before reaching a hand up to rub his jaw, looking away as a deep sadness came over him before looking back at one of the deputies standing by, his voice reaching the teenagers as he declared loudly, “I know who she is.” 

Erica and Boyd reared back from their positions, exchanging uneasy glances over the boy in the middle but Stiles didn’t flinch, didn’t move except to narrow his eyes at the group as a person with a clipboard came forth to write down the woman’s identity, something akin to stones sinking heavily in his stomach, pinning him down so that he could do nothing but watch as his father stood up to address the man. 

“Name?” the deputy with the clipboard asked, clicking his pen, and hovering it over the paper expectantly. 

“Victoria Argent.” 

With that announcement that, the deputies started scrambling for their radios to call into the station, orders for family members to be contacted immediately and even for the vet, Alan Deaton, to be called concerning the nature of her death becoming background noise to the teenagers who watched as Noah Stilinski took one last, regretful look at the body under the tree before going off into the night. 

And with that, they knew that everything had changed. 

\- 

#### Back at the O'Connor House....... 

Vanessa and Isaac laughed as they brought the dirty plates into the kitchen, sneaking glances at the man being led into the living room by the blonde haired woman that successfully had turned the conversation from an interrogation to a pleasant conversation where she tried all she could to find out about Derek Hale in a more domestic sense. 

Now, ‘domestic’ would be the last word she would think to describe the man, but he had answered the questions smoothly, admitting that he was willing to pay Isaac’s school fees and furthermore, his college tuition if he would still accept his support after he turned eighteen. That had surprised the boy next to him, who ducked his head to hide the small, happy smile playing on his lips, but Vanessa had caught it and felt her own heart warm at the man across the table. 

_I’m going to hold him to that._

When she had slyly added that Derek promised that he would help teach Isaac, Erica and Boyd how to drive, Lisa had clasped her heart in pleasant surprise at the man’s willingness to help a group of disadvantaged kids learn such an important skill. Vanessa had started to frown when she called them ‘disadvantaged’ but remembered quickly that was who they were to the rest of the town. 

To them, Isaac wasn’t the boy who had grown into himself and had gained an outstanding confidence and boldness, who was willing to fight back against anyone who was determined to put him down. To them, he was the kid who got arrested, who escaped and was on the run after his father died, the same father who had abused him for years. 

To them, Erica wasn’t the girl who had finally learned to love the parts of herself she thought were unlovable, or the girl who could best any man she went up against. To them, she still suffered from epilepsy, probably assuming that it was one of those spouts of time where it wouldn’t show up but thinking that it would someday, thinking it would always be something that held her back, thinking that she was the girl who was neglected by her parents in favor of promoting their business. 

To them, Boyd wasn’t the boy who found friends and got a chance to show them who he was, what his story was and what he longed for in life. To them, he was still that poor kid who could barely afford a meal, who had to work long hours to support his mother, who was burdened with the weight of his sister’s disappearance and who rarely smiled. 

But her parents were starting to learn that Derek was partially responsible in trying to do right by these kids when for so long, nobody cared to. Vanessa thought that was what had Sarah finally warming up to the idea of Derek being Isaac’s guardian until he graduated. The fact that she could see herself and Lisa in him, see someone else who also had taken on the responsibility of parent, not just for their own child and charge but for those who didn’t have anyone looking out for them. 

Dumping the dishes into the sink, she leaned into her boyfriend’s side as he began putting them into dishwasher, whispering mischievously, “So, I wonder, considering that Derek’s your _dad_ now – “ 

“ **Stop** ,” he interrupted her, sending a strained glance at the living room the adults had disappeared into before turning back to her, “ _I’m_ going to be the one driving back with him and I don’t want to make it even more awkward than the ride here.” 

“Oh, come on! You’re practically _family_ now,” Vanessa drawled, losing her restraint in the end and cackling over the sink as Isaac shook his head from beside her, “I can’t – it’s too – it’s too funny.” 

“I’m just glad it’s almost over,” he sighed in relief before beginning the first plate in the basin, “I thought he was definitely going to prison at one point there.” 

“For sure. Didn’t I tell you it was going to be a KBG interrogation in there?” 

“While I wouldn’t put it that far, I can admit that Sarah’s glares are a hundred percent more effective than Harris’.” 

“Considering I have daily experiences with both of them, I can agree wholeheartedly with that.” 

Just as she was about to dip her hands into the warm water to help Isaac, her phone buzzed from where she left it on the dining table alongside Sarah’s. Sending an apologetic look at the boy washing the dishes beside her, she walked over and picked them both up before walking across to the living room where the two women were sitting on the love seat across from where Derek sat on the couch. Leaning down next to the dark-haired woman, Vanessa held out the phone to her with a smile. 

“It’s Chief.” 

Sarah’s brows raised up in surprise as she hummed out loud, “I wonder what Noah wants?” 

Vanessa shrugged before walking back to the kitchen, perching herself on the counter while she watched Isaac work, calling back Stiles after she had let his first call go unanswered. When the dial beeped to indicate her call was answered, she threw back her arms to support herself as she greeted cheerfully, “Hey, Sarah just got a call from you Dad. What was that about?” 

“Nessie, you need to go to the hospital. **Right now**.” 

The seriousness in her best friends voice had her straightening up. There was a ring of urgency in his tone that caused all the hairs on her arms to stand. Isaac paused from where he was washing the dishes in the basin to look at her curiously. 

Vanessa cleared her throat with a frown, “ ** _Why?_** ” 

“They found another body in the Preserve.” 

“Okay,” she drawled, still confused, “That’s **bad** but can it wait? I’m kind of in the middle of something here so I can’t exactly sneak out for another one of our late-night mission here, buddy.” 

Isaac had turned around from the sink, wiping his wet hands on the towel hanging over the oven before coming to stand in front of her, eyes narrowed at the phone in her hand before flickering up to meet her own troubled gaze. 

“Ness,” Stiles sighed into the phone, pausing for a moment as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying before revealing in a quiet voice, “The body they found……….it was Allison's mom.” 

Everything froze. 

Everything that she ever thought about that woman, every curse that she had felt towards her, the derision that she felt towards her – it paled in comparison to what her death meant for her. 

Not her, per see, but for those that she cared about. For her daughter, who had quickly became one of her best friends, someone that she had committed a crime for, someone who she found herself creating enemies and risking her own life to protect. 

For all her faults, Victoria Argent was Allison’s mother. Despite their seemingly turbulent relationship, Allison loved her mother. 

_Her mother was now dead._

_She was going to find out her mother was dead._

_I need to be there for her._

“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” she replied stiffly into the phone, ending the call abruptly before taking a moment to process what she needed to do. 

Her eyes flickered up to meet Isaac’s, who had shifted closer to stand between her legs and had his arms around wrapped around her. His lips moved and she had to take a second before she realized what he was trying to say to her, “Sarah’s leaving now.” 

Sarah was leaving now. That must have been what the phone call with Chief was about. He knew that Allison was friends with her, and that Sarah had recently helped the girl win a restraining order, that she had sheltered her in her own home for the weekend because she hadn’t yet felt comfortable in hers. Chief knew what Allison meant to them and he called to let them know as soon as possible. 

How Chief got that information in the first place was not exactly something she cared about, it was the fact that she needed to get to that hospital fast. It was on the way to the Sheriff’s station and Sarah just happened to drive very, very fast. 

Giving him a chaste kiss, she shifted out of his arms and got down from the bench, quickly grabbing a cardigan and meeting with Sarah as she was about to leave out the door. Her mother stared at her, sadness settling in her shoulders, her mouth, her dark eyes as they took in the determined set of her own features and sighed. “Let’s go, kiddo.” 

Vanessa cast a foreboding look back over her shoulder at the two males hovering behind Lisa, her eyes flickering from the silent reassurance in Isaac’s eyes to obverse Derek’s. The man had an unfathomable look, one that held grave knowing of what this would mean for them, what this would mean for the hunters. It shook her to her core as she realized that if their swords weren’t sharp before, the death of their matriarch would surely have them unsheathing the deadly glinting steel well before dawn. 

No supernatural creature would be safe from the wrath that family would wrought. 

\- 

#### At the Hospital............

 _Breathe in, breathe out, breath in._

When the elevator doors opened, Allison Argent held her breathe. 

White. Everything was white. The walls, the cool tile floors, the ceiling lights – it was all so sickening, so blinding that it physically burnt and had tears glistening at the crevices of her eyes. 

_**That** is why I’m crying. The white burns, the light burns, my eyes burn._

_That is the **only** reason why I am crying._

If that was the case, why did her mind, soul and heart immediately retreat to the furthest corner of the small, dark box? 

In the metallic reflection doors, she could have sworn she saw an image of herself on the floor, curled up in herself. What did this mean? What did this mean? 

_Move, Allison. You need to move._

She didn’t want to, her mind **screamed** at her to stay until the doors closed once more. 

Her feet moved without her consent, boots heavy and almost dragging her through the sickening, white hallway. 

She didn’t fathom the corners she turned or the doors she went through until she saw _him_. 

He was talking with a man, a doctor in a white coat, clutching his clipboard to his chest as he stared at him regretfully. 

“ _I’m sorry_ ,” were the words on his lips, drowned out by the sound of her blood pumping in her ears and through the tears, she could see his eyes drift over his shoulder to meet hers as he mouthed once more, “ _I’ll leave you alone_.” 

_No, no don’t go. Why are you going? Surely, you have more to say?_

Her father slowly turned to face her as the doctor retreated, his gaze lowered to the floor as if it could give him the answers to the continuous ‘why’ ringing in his head. 

_Why, why, why?_

It felt like **years** had passed between them both, just standing there, so still, in the middle of the hospital reception, him staring at the goddamn floor and her waiting for him to look at her. 

_Don’t look at the floor like that. Like you can’t stand to look me in the eye._

_Look at me. Look at me and tell me it was a mistake._

_Tell that call was a false alarm, that everything is going to be alright._

_**TELL ME!**_

Finally, as if God had given him the strength to do so, he lifted his eyes off the floor and the world slowed around her. 

_No._

Shifting on his feet, he tilted his head enough to reveal what lay beyond him, a room previously concealed by the doctor, by her father’s bowed head. 

_No, no, it’s not real._

It was a room, surrounded by glass. It held a single table, and what lay on it was a shape covered in a cloth that was the same shade of blue as that of the sky. 

The shape….it was a human form. 

_No, it can’t be._

Her eyes flickered back to her father, who was now looking directly at her. 

_Don’t look at me like that._

His mouth was repeatedly opening and closing, like he couldn't bare to speak what needed to be spoken. 

_Say it. Tell me. Tell me it’s a mistake._

His eyes were creased in the corners, already welling up like icicles melting into the Arctic. 

_Why are you looking at me like that?_

The muscles of his face tremored like they were being held together by a single thread. 

_Why do you look like you’re about to fall apart?_

She had never seen him like that before and it **terrified** her. 

_Why does it look like nothing is going to be okay again?_

At the thought, at the connection he was trying to communicate to her about what she had heard on the phone and what was lying under that sheet, _who_ was lying under that sheet, she released a shuddering breathe. 

“ _No_ ,” she shook her head, eyes wide with denial of the truth he was trying to show, a truth he didn’t want to show her, a truth he didn’t want to show _himself_ , “ ** _No._** ” 

She heard her father sigh, a tired, broken sound that was the last straw to any hope she might have had. 

“No, Dad, **No, _DAD!_** ” she screamed through gritted teeth, marching up to him. 

The look on his face looked too real, it all looked too real. The doctor, the sheet, that _goddamn fucking look_. 

“If this is some kind of _**sick**_ training session than – “ she gasped as painful sobs choked her, forcing her back from him so she could breathe, so she could breathe enough to tell him, “Than _tell me_. **TELL ME!** ” 

“No.” 

Her world came to a stop. 

_No, no, no, no, no, no._

His arms settled on her own, steadying her as she swayed on the spot but she didn’t notice because _it couldn’t be true_. 

_It was **impossible**._

“I’m sorry.” 

_It was **impossible**_. 

“I’m so, so sorry.” 

Her face was like glass. 

His breathless apologies cracked her open. 

It was the despair in his eyes that broke her. 

_It was **real.**_

A strangled, agonizing gasp escaped her as she stumbled forward as her heart was stabbed by the realization. 

_It was **all** real._

“I **hate** – I _can’t_ – “ she fell forward, pushing and thrashing against his chest, fighting against the truth that had planted itself deep inside her heart as her father pulled her close, " _ **I CAN'T**_ – it’s – “ 

Her cries were jagged, her anguish muffled in the collar of her father’s leather jacket that smelled of sweat, pine and cologne. 

_It was my mother’s favorite scent._

No embrace, no scent, no person, no _living_ being could hope to give her comfort as the world started to get louder, brighter, faster. 

_I’m not ready._

No helpless apologies, no whispered reassurances could make up for this – for taking **_her_**. 

“ _What happened?_ **WHAT HAPPENED?!** ” she screamed up at the ceiling for anyone to dare give her an answer on _why her, why her, why **her**?_

_I’m not ready._

Her eyes drifted to the cloth again, to the body underneath it, **_her_** body and she screamed the question at her like _**she**_ would be able to offer it. 

“ **WHAT HAPPENED?!** ” 

_I’m not ready._

When _**she**_ didn’t answer, when she didn’t rip the cloth off with a raised eyebrow and a disapproving glare that would put all past glares to shame, Allison felt herself fall in the distance. 

_I’m not ready._

She got the profound sense of her knees jolting hard when they banged against the cold, tile floor. 

_I’m not ready._

She inhaled and smelt the familiar sugary sweet scent of _Hello Kitty_ body spray, heard Vanessa’s voice whisper into her ear as she fell back into her small arms. 

_I’m not ready._

The last thing she remembered before she let herself fall apart completely was the revelation. 

_I’m not ready to be without my mom._


	34. She Looked Like Her Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerard lifted his chin at the silent defiance but didn’t seem too disapproving as he told the room, “As Hunters, we understand that death is an inevitability. Whether it be in battle or serving those who would one day fight the war in our steed, we understand that we live and die by this cause, as Victoria did. It is our obligation and our privilege that when we come of age, we create our Last Will, one that would be read out at our funerals.”
> 
> The old man cleared his throat, “I, Victoria Argent née Dufort, will it that my daughter, Allison Argent, take my place as the matriarch of House Argent. I will it that she also inherits all treasuries born to me by the Dufort name. I will it that my father-in-law and mentor, Gerard Argent, see to it that she leads with the same strength and tenacity that I led with. I will it, that in my absence, she will honor the code, honor this family, honor the cause, and honor me. We Hunt Those Who Hunts Us.”
> 
> “ _We Hunt Those That Hunts Us_ ,” the rest of the room echoed once more before trailing off into silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! I updated the chapter finallyyyyy - I don't know why it was so freaking difficult to finish this short little chapter but I did it! I hope you all enjoy it and if anyone has any questions, suggestions, feedback that they would like to share, please leave a comment down below. I love hearing your thoughts and talking to you guys because you provide such a fresh and positive perspective and I really do enjoy hearing it!

Vanessa had never been to a funeral before this year. 

Now, she had attended two in the span of just five weeks. Not to mention that it happened to be two deaths from the same family. _Not to mention_ that the family were hunters bent on killing all her friends out of a misguided sense of revenge. Not to mention – 

Soft, melancholic violins began their slow mourning song and Vanessa was abruptly reminded that she was indeed present at this funeral – invited, for the first time instead of sitting at the edges – and she felt the hand wrapped in hers squeeze her palms. Her eyes flashed to the girl walking by her side, the girl’s dark eyes narrowed on the coffin being transported ahead of them in an eerily detached way that had Vanessa’s stomach tighten at the sight of it. 

She had never seen Allison Argent look so distant. 

It was like the girl was being pulled along by an invisible string, the constant tightening of her hand around hers the only sign that she was still here, that she was still alive. 

That she was still mourning. 

It was only Allison’s wishes alone that allowed Vanessa to walk beside her and her family, to be allowed to enter the church where the coffin was laid on a stone alter. No, not a stone alter. As they walked down past the pews to the front, she soon realized it wasn’t stone after all. It was a shining metal the black coffin sat on, the same shining metal that the handles were made of and that lined the seal. 

_**Silver**. A silver alter for the Argent matriarch._

With her status being what it was, her funeral was not the gloomy, paparazzi headline of an affair Kate Argent’s was. It was a funeral fit for a soldier, a warrior, a leader. 

Someone that was admired, respected, and loved by all who attended. That was another thing about this funeral. It was _crawling_ with Hunters. 

She could see it in the way their eyes narrowed at her, walking alongside Allison with evenly measured steps. She could sit it in the way they scoured the whole building before walking inside, and then doing so again. She could practically feel the burn of their suspicion, their hostility, their superiority. As if they thought they knew something she didn’t. 

Hence her hidden bitterness for the whole affair. 

It was no secret to her or to her friends that they hadn’t liked Allison’s mother. She was **terrifying** , what with her fierce glares and lethal threats, her sharp words and sarcastic undertones. She had constantly pressured her daughter, she had threatened to kill Scott, actually **tried** to kill Scott and was planning to kill her too after she was done with it. 

But like with Kate, she didn’t want the woman dead. She never wanted anyone to die. 

She didn’t know how someone like Victoria Argent could be killed anyway. The woman was a **_monster_**. 

In this instance, she meant it as a compliment. Victoria was chosen as the Argent matriarch despite only being an Argent by marriage, and Vanessa had learnt from Allison in a very clipped explanation, that her mother came from what once was their rival family in France. The Duforts. 

They were here too. She could see them on the other side of the room, shaking hands and inclining their heads in respect when Gerard and Chris went to greet them. She could see it in their fiery red hair, that she now realized must have been Victoria’s natural hair color and not a dyed monstrosity to emphasis her hellish façade. She could see in their piercing, pale stares as their attention drifted past the men to impale the two girls. Allison, to her credit, didn’t seem to notice, her eyes never straying far from the coffin. 

Unfortunately for Vanessa, she did, which seemed to solidify their opinion that she didn’t belong in their midst. 

_I don’t like you either. I’m here for Allison and only for Allison._

Gerard and Chris excused themselves, and as if a silent cue had been given, everyone made their way to their respective seats. Vanessa slid down the pew to make room for Chris to sit beside his daughter. She had given them enough room that Gerard – even though she detested being in the same room as the old man – had a spot to sit also. 

Taking everyone by surprise, he instead started up the stairs to the alter where the priest had begun, cutting in front of the old man to stand with his hands gripping the sharp edges of the wooden podium as he faced his people. The priest stepped back; head bowed as if in reverence to Gerard instead of the god he claimed to serve. 

From beside Allison, Chris clenched his jaw, eyes narrowed on his father as he began to speak in grave voice, “My friends. My family. We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of one of the most devoted, fiercest warriors in our cause. Victoria Argent née Dufort was known for her ambition. For her ferocity in battle and in life. Her tenaciousness in standing up tall to whatever life dealt out for her. She was a mother, a wife and a daughter. But most importantly, she was a leader.” 

“Victoria was the matriarch of House Argent, the heir to the Dufort name and one of the most respected members of the Council. She stood for everything a Hunter should stand for. She continued to fight for our cause even unto her death, in which she fell battling the creatures we have sworn to fight in order to protect innocents.” 

Vanessa swallowed hard at that, glancing hesitantly from the corner of her eye as Allison stared straight ahead, lips thinned and eyes narrowed at her grandfather, who in turn stared back at her as if his next words were for her directly, “Victoria was most noted in life for her intellect. Her capacity for greatness was only beaten by her capacity for strength. She fought, lived and died by the code, a code that she took to her heart every single day of her life. We Hunt Those Who Hunt Us.” 

“ _We Hunt Those Who Hunt Us_ ,” everybody echoed, the phrase startling Vanessa in her seat. 

Allison didn’t say anything, merely squeezing her friend’s hand as she waited for her grandfather to continue. 

Gerard lifted his chin at the silent defiance but didn’t seem too disapproving as he told the room, “As Hunters, we understand that death is an inevitability. Whether it be in battle or serving those who would one day fight the war in our steed, we understand that we live and die by this cause, as Victoria did. It is our obligation and our privilege that when we come of age, we create our Last Will, one that would be read out at our funerals.” 

Vanessa frowned at this, eyes darting to the envelop Gerard took from our of his jacket pocket. From the corner of her eye, she saw Allison lean forward slightly, her hands going slack from where they held hers on her lap. 

The old man cleared his throat, “I, Victoria Argent née Dufort, will it that my daughter, Allison Argent, take my place as the matriarch of House Argent. I will it that she also inherits all treasuries born to me by the Dufort name. I will it that my father-in-law and mentor, Gerard Argent, see to it that she leads with the same strength and tenacity that I led with. I will it, that in my absence, she will honor the code, honor this family, honor the cause, and honor me. We Hunt Those Who Hunts Us.” 

“ _We Hunt Those That Hunts Us_ ,” the rest of the room echoed once more before trailing off into silence. 

Suddenly, all eyes were on them. More specifically, on the dark-haired girl sitting in the middle of her father and her friend who did not belong. 

Since the moment Vanessa had ran through the double doors of the hospital two days ago, arriving just in time to catch her best friend before she hit the floor, she had only ever seen despair in her dark gaze. Allison had barely responded to anyone, to anything besides food, water and an order given to her by Gerard. The most Vanessa had gotten from her were tight squeezes from her shaking hands and the tears that slid down her eyes right before she broke out in sobs. 

The girl sitting next to her now was not crying anymore. Her hands did not shake, in fact, they had let go of hers completely mid-way through the Last Will, whatever the fuck that was. Now, they were clenched in the silks of her black skirt as she stared up at her grandfather, meeting his intense stare unyielding. She had lifted her chin and jutted it out as he looked upon her in silence. 

The skin around her face was taunt, the shadows under her eyes twisting her features into a dark and sinister expression, one of relentless fury and warped resolution. The muscles in her jaw were clenched, lips pursed in decision. Her face was one of promise, of war, of vengeance. 

It was her mother’s face. 

On Allison, especially after that speech, it was _**terrifying**_. 

Vanessa’s legs started to twitch as she fought to keep her composure but as she looked beyond Allison to her father, she almost ran out of the church. Chris turned his head between his father and his daughter, wearing a troubled expression that did little to reassure her that everything would be alright. 

Vanessa had a feeling nothing would be alright, not with Allison, not with her friends, for a long, long time. 

\- 

_“How is she?”_

She fingered the thin sheet on the bed she laid on, sighing deeply as she tried to find the words. Scott had called her as soon as she had walked through her front door. She hadn’t even had a chance to shrug off her coat before she was bombarded by a hundred questions. Vanessa tried to answer as best as she could, but it was pretty difficult when she herself wasn’t sure what had happened. She felt like she had just left a war council, not a funeral. She couldn’t get out of there fast enough. 

She had given Allison a tight hug, but she felt like the girl barely felt it, like she was barely aware she was there. Almost as soon as she had let go of her, Allison was pulled into the crowd of mourners, fading away into the black wear while Vanessa was swept out the double doors of the church and into the street below. 

_“Ness, please. You know I can’t be there for her right now, not while her whole family is in town. You’re the only way I can check up on her_ ,” Scott pleaded, voice tinged in techno static and desperation. 

“I don’t know what to tell you. She seemed.......different – “ 

“ _Her mother just died –_ “ 

“Not _that_ different! You didn’t **see** her, Scott – when Gerard was reading out her mom’s will, she **changed**!” 

“ _Changed how?_ ” 

“I – I don’t know how to explain it but it was like – it was like she _believed_ all that shit about the cause and how you guys were the enemy. It was like she snapped out of the grief but….. **not** at the same time.” 

“ _You’re not making any sense, Nessa – _“__

____

“ **YOU WEREN’T THERE!** ” she shouted, not noticing Scott going dead silent on the line as she continued on with her crazed rant, “It wasn’t **her** , Scott! It wasn’t Allison – she – she **_changed_**. When Gerard read out the will, I looked over and I – I could have sworn she looked……” 

____

Vanessa paused, brows furrowing as she looked down at her hands. Maybe, she was just imagining things. Her anxiety during that funeral was through the roof and she could have come up with several crazy ideas or hallucinated the whole thing. It just seemed too out there, too impossible for Allison of all people to become the kind of person who would truly put fear into her heart. 

____

Not Allison, with her sweet smile and her playful brown eyes and her soft heart and her happy laugh. Not the girl who leaned against her on the roof when she cried, or the flawed human who gritted her teeth in frustration. Not the girl who whispered in her ear or who joked when she was embarrassed. Not the girl who was scared, who tried, who kept getting up when she was thrown down. 

____

Allison Argent was many things, but never someone she would **fear**. 

____

Until now. 

____

“ _Ness_ ,” Scott spoke up softly from the phone beside her, “ _What did you see?_ ” 

____

She jerked her head to stare down at the phone, debating on whether or not to tell him. 

____

What if she was overreacting? 

____

What if it was just a normal reaction and she had over-analysed it? 

____

What if it really was just grief? 

____

_Then again, grief has been known to drive people to do terrible, terrible things._

____

_It drove Peter Hale to kill all those people._

____

_It drove Derek to kill Peter._

____

_What if grief drove Allison to do something.......just as bad?_

____

Vanessa sighed before picking up her phone in a shaky hand and told her best friend in a hushed whisper. 

____

“She looked like her mother, Scott.” 

____

\- 

____

The next morning, Vanessa was walking down the halls of the highschool with Erica, Isaac and Boyd on the way to her locker when they spotted Scott and Stiles coming towards them. An uneasy smile broke out on her lips as she remembered the confusing conversation she had with Scott the night before, about how he had talked her down and tried to make her see reason. 

____

After a good nights sleep and serious consideration, she had eventually agreed that she must have been just anxious from the hostility she felt at the funeral and at being in the same room as the man who wanted to kill her best friends and boyfriend. 

____

_Anxiety sucked but identifying when it controlled your thinking made it easier to deal with somehow._

____

However, the stony look on Scott’s face was **not** easy to deal with. In fact, as he and Stiles appeared to rush over from the other end of the hall, she found that same stony like feeling settling into her stomach. 

____

Isaac, who had his arm slung around her shoulder where his fingertips teased her collarbone, stilled in their walk and whispered softly to her, “Hey, what’s wrong? I just felt your heartbeat go up.” 

____

“I heard it too but I just assumed that it was because you haven’t stopped _touching her since you got out of the car_ ,” Erica snorted from behind them, earning twin glares from the couple before the brunette waved it off. 

____

“It’s fine. I just.....I just hope Allison’s okay,” she sighed before continuing on, brow lifting as she took in Stiles’ panicked state as he clapped his hand on Scott’s shoulder reassuringly before giving her a pointed look. 

____

“Ness, I get that funerals are a horrible affair but did you _really_ have to worry Scott with all your “Allison isn’t right….she’s changed” mumbo jumbo?” 

____

“Hey, hey, hey! **_He_** told me I had nothing to worry about!” 

____

“Well, that was before she decided to ignore my texts,” Scott grunted, throwing a couple of looks over his shoulder before asking her, “When you said that stuff last night – “ 

____

“It was my anxiety talking! You even said so yourself!” 

____

“I know but she hasn’t answered even one – “ 

____

“Maybe she didn’t see them – “ 

____

“What? All _forty-seven_ of them?” Stiles interrupted with an incredulous look. 

____

Vanessa paused in her comeback to stare at Scott in disbelief before she muttered, “You didn’t.” 

____

“Well, you freaked me out, Ness!” 

____

“Hey, no, _you_ said it was crazy talk!” 

____

“Well, even you have your moments,” Stiles shrugged, before stepping to the side to dodge the kick to his leg. 

____

“Hey, if you guys are done bickering,” Boyd spoke up from where he had been leaning against the locker patiently waiting for them to finish up their conversation so he could get to class, “Allison just arrived. She honestly looks fine.” 

____

They all turned in the direction he jerked his head, Vanessa and Scott simultaneously sighing in relief before the former gently pulled herself out from her boyfriend’s semi-embrace to approach the dark haired girl, taking in the all black look she was pulling off with an almost sad pride. 

____

Even Allison made grief look good. 

____

The newcomer wore a suede leather jacket, identical to the one she wore the night at the Hale House, with black leggings and ankle boots that clicked on the floor as she approached them with tight lips and narrowed eyes, her dark gaze running over the group before settling on the girl coming towards her with an impenetrable look that made Vanessa stand up straighter. 

____

She didn’t know why but something about the way that Allison was looking at her made her feel like she was under the protective watch of a sniper through a scope. One that wasn’t quiet sure if she was friend or foe but was on the kind of fence where one wrong move and she would shoot. 

____

Allison had never looked at her like that before and just like the funeral, she felt the same kind of chilling fear crawl up her spine as she neared her best friend. 

____

“Hey,” Vanessa greeted softly, stopping a bit away so as not to spook her, “I didn’t think you would come today.” 

____

“Why wouldn’t I?” Allison replied a bit tersely, before smiling tightly as pain flashed in her eyes, “The world keeps spinning, doesn’t it?” 

____

“It does,” the brown-haired girl nodded cautiously, wondering how she should go about this new ideology that Allison seemed to be using to cope, “Still, you know if you need anything – “ 

____

“I know,” Allison cut her off, this time with a smile that could almost pass for sweet, “I’ll let you know.” 

____

Feeling hope surge within her that maybe it _was_ just grief, that the clothes, the look, the short answers were all just ways the dark haired girl kept herself form breaking, 

____

Vanessa surged forward with her arms opened wide, enveloping the girl into a tight hug. 

____

Allison froze up in her arms and Vanessa knew **immediately** she made the wrong move. She didn’t know how to go about taking it back, go about apologizing, go about making up for being so insensitive but before she could do anything, her friend pulled away with the gentleness one might find when putting down a small baby, her head angled away so that her dark hair hid most of her face. 

____

Allison cleared her throat uncomfortably before finally looking at her again, whispering in a slightly hoarse voice, “Look, I know that you want to help but what I really need right now is some space. If you could do that for me, I would appreciate that.” 

____

Vanessa was already nodding half-way through her sentence, half from shock and half from regret for making her feel smothered before replying, “Of course, yeah, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have – “ 

____

“It’s okay, I know you mean well,” Allison smiled back softly before the bell rang out to signal first period, “Um, I have to go but I’ll see you when I see you.” 

____

“Yeah, sure – “ 

____

Allison had already started walking down the hall, leaving her stuttering behind her. Vanessa blinked in shock at what just happened before guilt started to surge up in her, leaving her blinking back tears as she walked back to join the group at the lockers who had been staring aghast at the two girls the whole time. 

____

As soon as she was close enough, Isaac came forward and wrapped her up in his own arms, bringing her head to cradle his chest as he soothingly whispered, “Hey, it’s okay. You didn’t mean it, you didn’t mean it, it was an accident, okay? You just wanted to hug your friend; you didn’t know.” 

____

“I know, but I should have been more careful,” she mumbled self-deprecating into his chest, her hands fisting themselves up in his black t-shirt. 

____

_Of course_ , Allison wasn’t ready for that! Vanessa had seen her at the hospital, on the floor and screaming for anyone to give her answers. The way her friend choked on her own tears wrenched her heart from her chest as she had collapsed on the floor beside her and dragged her shaking body onto her lap, stroking her hair and trying to create soothing noises that would reach her friend over her agonizing cries. 

____

A warm hand landed on her shoulder, causing her to lift her face out of where she had buried it in Isaac’s chest and turned. Scott stared down at her, shoulders slumped and his own eyes sad. Vanessa shook her head at herself, for being so self-centred once more. 

____

Scott was Allison’s boyfriend and he couldn’t even be there for her when she found out her mother had died, couldn’t be there to hold her at the funeral, couldn’t even go up to her in the halls just then to comfort her because again, Vanessa just _had_ to go first. 

____

“I am so, so sorry,” she stuttered, wiping at the tears in her eyes as she turned around to wrap her best friend into a hug, “I should have let you go to her.” 

____

“Um, Ness, I don’t think it would have muttered,” Stiles spoke up from behind her. 

____

The uneasy tone of his voice had the group looking over at him, taking in the clench in his jaw and the way his mouth was twisted up nervously as he looked at something further down the hall. Vanessa and Scott pulled apart from one another, stepping up beside Isaac and Stiles. 

____

When Vanessa saw what made their friend so fidgety, she flinched back. 

____

_I hate it when I’m right._

____

At the other end of the hall, right next to the principal’s office, was Allison. The girl stood next to the open door, talking to someone inside with a strong stance in her shoulders and back. When the person moved out, the group stiffened simultaneously. 

____

Grandfather and granddaughter stood side by side, in matching mourning black that looked more like armor than anything. While their clothes stood for grief, the way they stood spoke for much darker intentions. The way they stood, with their chins jutted up high and their mouths set in determination, spoke loudly down the hall to the children gathered to watch. 

____

The way they stood spoke of only one thing. 

____

**War.**

____

As if to fell them all with the blow of that one realization, the two Argents snapped their heads up to level the group with their stare. Even from far away, even with her shitty sight, Vanessa could sense the cold, calculating look they emulated. Felt it in the way that Scott reared back like he had been struck, or the way Boyd growled lowly in his chest despite the fact it was towards a girl he had shared breakfast with, who he had shopped beside and laughed at the same jokes. 

____

She felt it in the way that Erica’s head dipped lowly, shoulders shaking – in rage or in sadness, she didn’t quite know. She felt it in the way Isaac’s hands immediately came down to pull her close, the muscles under his jacket flexing with the movement as they tightened protectively on her waist. 

____

She felt it in the way that Stile sighed in trepidation as he muttered, “This is so not good.” 

____

No, Vanessa could agree that the violence that burned in the eyes of Allison and Gerard as they looked upon the group of teenagers was _definitely **not** good_. 

____

And as they left them with that cold, unsettling feeling that crawled up their skin like spiders, disappearing into the office, Vanessa sagged against Isaac’s side and heard Scott release the breath he had been holding because he _finally_ understood. They all finally understood what she had been feeling since that moment in the church the day before. 

____

Because when Allison looked at them before she followed her grandfather into his office, she didn’t look like Allison. 

____

She looked like her mother.

____


	35. Bad Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac Lahey woke up screaming.
> 
> Sweat coated his bare chest and the sheets clung to him like a second skin as he lunged up, hands braced against thin air. He breathed in that precious air like it was pure gold, taking agonizingly large breaths until he felt like he was going to be sick.
> 
> “Babe?” a groggily voice called out to him. A second later, a warm hand slid up his forearm to his shoulder, cradling the muscle there and massaging at it until it relaxed. It was only then he had realized that he had tensed up, like he was being attacked.
> 
> “It was just a dream,” he whispered, more to himself than the girl that had sat up beside him, “It was just a bad dream.”
> 
> Vanessa pressed her forehead to his arm and sighed, “It sounded like a nightmare to me.”
> 
> He tried for a cocky smile but felt like he failed miserably when his voice broke on his reply, “It’s the same thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I finally fucking updated and I am so sorry for the wait. Next chapter we will be returning to canon and things will be going down. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, i know it's short but please leave a comment to tell me what you thought. As always, criticism, suggestions and feedback are not only welcomed but appreciated but please remember to be kind x

_It was early in the evening and he was alone in the house. Camden was outside by the pool with his friends from the swim team, having been given the key to the liquor cabinet downstairs by Dad, who left with Mom for their weekly date night with a wave and a casual, “Drink responsibly”, thrown over his shoulder like it was a **burden** to remind his eldest son. _

_After all, Camden could do no wrong._

_He could hear his brother’s laughter from the open window, heard Kara shout something playfully at him followed by a loud splash. He sighed, dropping his new comic book onto the bed with a huff. Matt Daehler had suggested a swap, and by the toothy grin he wore as he walked out of his room only minutes beforehand, he could tell that he thought it was a fair trade._

_He approached the open window and leaned over, eyes squinting to find his brother’s tall, muscular form with the pool light as his only assistance. The pool itself was full of bubbles and white foam, and he could make out somebody thrashing underneath._

_He rolled his eyes as he finally caught sight of his brother, keeling over laughing and called down to him, “Lower the volume before we get a noise complaint, Cam!”_

_Camden didn’t stop laughing._

_He turned away and walked into the bathroom across the hall. He heard the door open from downstairs and ran the facet. Cool water slid down the white, ceramic basin. He cupped the water in his hands and ducked his head to wash his face, closing his eyes as he did so._

_When he opened them, he was surrounded by water._

_It was in his mouth, in his eyes, in his nose. It burnt. **Badly**. _

_His lungs felt like they were on fire and in the distance, he could hear someone screaming at him._

_He thrashed against the mass of water but he couldn’t swim, he couldn’t move and everything seemed so heavy._

_The screaming was louder now. He could tell it was his father._

_He couldn’t hear what he was saying but then again, it probably didn’t make sense._

_His father never made any fucking sense when he started screaming._

_But wasn’t he out with Mom? Why is he screaming if Mom is here? If Camden’s here?_

_He could still hear his brother’s laughter._

_His head hurt. His lungs burnt. His breaths grew shorter and shorter as he swallowed mouthfuls of chlorine._

_Chlorine?_

_He didn’t swim._

_He **couldn’t** swim. _

_Why couldn’t he swim?_

_The only response was his brother’s maniacal laughter and his father’s never-ending screams._

_So, he opened his mouth and screamed back._

\- 

Isaac Lahey woke up screaming. 

Sweat coated his bare chest and the sheets clung to him like a second skin as he lunged up, hands braced against thin air. He breathed in that precious air like it was pure gold, taking agonizingly large breaths until he felt like he was going to be sick. 

“Babe?” a groggily voice called out to him. A second later, a warm hand slid up his forearm to his shoulder, cradling the muscle there and massaging at it until it relaxed. It was only then he had realized that he had tensed up, like he was being attacked. 

“It was just a dream,” he whispered, more to himself than the girl that had sat up beside him, “It was just a bad dream.” 

Vanessa pressed her forehead to his arm and sighed, “It sounded like a nightmare to me.” 

He tried for a cocky smile but felt like he failed miserably when his voice broke on his reply, “It’s the same thing.” 

Her eyes shuttered at hearing the slight break and he felt horrible for making her look so downcast. His girlfriend fidgeted with her hands for a bit before asking softly, “Was it the same one?” 

He glanced at her again and found them. Twin dark circles under her eyes, an evidence of the exhaustion that seemed to cloak them both. He had been having that same goddamn dream since Tuesday night. To make matters worse for them both, Vanessa also had trouble sleeping since Friday’s incident when they saw Allison walk into her grandfather’s office and never walk back out. 

_All of them had met at lunch, Isaac reporting that he hadn’t seen the girl come in once for French. It was the same for Economics, when they all had sat waiting for her to enter and all slumping in their seats half an hour in at the realization that she wouldn’t be showing up. Surprisingly, it was Erica that had taken it the hardest._

_“What the **fuck**?” the blonde had whispered harshly, jabbing at her food on the cafeteria tray and missing it completely as she ranted at them, “I get that she is probably grieving right now but what the heck was up this morning though? Did you see their eyes – that was – they **hated** us. They **both** hated us. And I think it’s been going on since before her mother’s body was even found!” _

_“What are you talking about?” Stiles drawled; his face scrunched up at her like she was crazy._

_“Why would you say that?” Isaac asked, having also been curious as to where she was going with that theory._

_“Last weekend!” Erica pointed at Vanessa, her eyes were wide as she explained, “Remember when I asked you that question about if you would take the Bite and she freaked out! What happens if she has just been using us this whole time to get info for her hunter family?"_

_“ **No** ,” Vanessa shook her head in certainty, “No way. Trust me, whatever is going on with her now – it started at that funeral. They must have warped her brain somehow.” _

_“Do you think her father had something to do with it?” Scott spoke up, his voice low._

_She had shaken her head in response, “I don’t think so. When Gerard was reading out the will, Chris seemed to see the same thing I was seeing. Allison had started to genuinely listen to what he was saying and it was the first time we had seen her so interested in anything since the hospital. Chris looked…..I don’t know, he looked like he knew something was going to happen.”_

_“We need to tell Derek,” Boyd had insisted, leaning forward with his arms braced against the table, “If Allison is truly with them, than she’s a threat.”_

_“The whole family has been a threat since day one, big guy,” Stiles had said with an eye roll, “Besides, what difference would it make?”_

_“It’s a difference. A really big fucking difference,” Erica whispered harshly, raising her head to meet the boy’s gaze as angry tears welled up in her eyes, “We **trusted** her and if she goes off to her granddaddy and spills everything she knows about us, they will have an advantage on us that they didn’t have before and it will be because we trusted her!” _

_“She wouldn't do that,” Scott insisted quietly, “I don’t know what’s going through her head, but I know her. She wouldn’t sell us out.”_

_“Scott’s right,” Vanessa nodded in agreement, “Whatever’s going on with her, she wouldn’t betray us like that.”_

_“If you hadn’t noticed, Nessa, she wasn’t looking at us like an ‘us’ anymore. She was looking at us like we were a ‘them’, the big bad ‘them’ to be precise and I don’t know about you but when someone looks at me like a big, bad wolf it makes me think that maybe, just maybe, they’re going to start treating me like one!”_

_Erica had started to rise out of her seat, shucking on her bag with a glare. Stiles rose up after her, throwing out his hands as if he was calming down a rapid animal._

_“Let’s not get too hasty, okay! Erica, come on, her mom just died. Maybe it’s a phase?”_

It wasn’t just a phase. 

They hadn’t spoken to Allison since that Friday morning. Vanessa had tried calling several times just to check up but was met with the voicemail machine each time, leaving with a look more sad and downcast than the last. Isaac didn’t know what to do to comfort her, not when he was plagued with the same nightmares every night and barely got a decent sleep. 

“Baby?” 

Her voice drew him out of his thoughts, and he turned back towards her, finding a frown marring her beautiful face. 

_Fuck, she probably thinks I’m going crazy or something._

“Yeah, it’s the same one,” he sighed, rubbing at his eyes before settling back onto the headboard with a huff. 

Vanessa’s hand rubbed at his shoulder, trying to sooth out the tense muscles she found there as she offered, “I’m going to go make myself up some Milo. Did you want some?” 

He could tell she was trying to help and if drinking some of his girlfriend’s delicious Milo would ease her worries, he wouldn’t pass it up for the world. 

“Sounds good.” 

Her smile, that blinding, little smile of hers, appeared on her lips and he felt his heart warm at the sight of it as she leaned forward to press a kiss to his forehead before slipping out of the warm sheets and out of her room, the light pitter-pattering of her feet trailing off into silence as she headed downstairs quietly so as not to wake her parents. 

He felt cold in the absence of her body heat, but he always felt cold whenever she wasn’t around. Like when she walked away, she walked off with all the sunshine in the world. Vanessa always reminded him of the sun, despite her dark hair and her piercing blue eyes. It was all in her smile. It radiated light and happiness, and warmth and forgiveness. 

It was one of the reasons, he thought, that life had gotten quieter lately. The absence of her smile was a sign that things were…..tense. It was one thing to be constantly on your guard against a kanima and it’s psychotic master, not to mention the gathering of hunters in Beacon Hills and it was another thing entirely for someone you trust to possibly be working against you. Especially if that person was your best friend. 

He knew how much Vanessa cared for Allison. She **loved** the girl and everything they ever went through, from boy troubles to family troubles to the trouble that usually began with the full moon and ended with sharp claws, it only served to bring them closer, to solidify their friendship in stone. 

This….this attitude the dark haired girl had taken up, the clear ally ship she had shown by standing with Gerard, it had shaken them all but it had shaken Vanessa the most. Vanessa **hated** Gerard, hated him with a fiery passion. He had threatened to kill her to keep Scott in line, had hunted Isaac and most of her best friends down like dogs and who knows what else. 

Allison knew this and still stood by him as they stared down the group. 

Let’s just say that he knew where Erica was coming from when she mentioned feeling like the big, bad wolf the Argent tried to paint them as. He knew what they did to big, bad wolves. He heard the stories of what they did to Derek’s family. Of what they did to the lone Omegas they found wandering the woods alone. Hell, one of them tried to kill him in the station and if it weren't for the full moon, he would have definitely been screwed. 

They didn’t need this. None of them needed this. They needed to focus on curing Jackson, of stopping Matt from his murder spree. 

The thought of Matt only made him fall back on the other fears that had been living in the back of his head. These dreams, these nightmares, had started since that confrontation with Daehler in the hallway. That comment about his father and brother made his skin crawl and he didn’t like it one bit. 

He definitely didn’t like the nightmares that had followed in it's wake either or the fact 

The sound of the door quietly creaking shut drew him out of the turmoil of thoughts running through his head and onto the brunette who sent him a sheepish smile before tip toing back to the bed, two glasses of Milo balanced in her hands. He leaned forward to take them from her and as soon as he had placed them on the bedside table, he wrapped his arms around her waist and gently tugged her down on him. 

He smirked at the little yelp that escaped her mouth and the accompanying chastising whisper, “Issac!”, as her weight sank onto his lap, his thighs pillowing her small, soft body as it collapsed on his chest. Her hands caught her just in time and she shook the tendrils of brown hair that fell in her face to huff at him with all the attitude she could summon. 

“What was that for?” she laughed breathlessly, steadying herself. 

The grip on her waist tightened and he closed his eyes at the sound of the hitch in her breathe. 

_How did I go years without making a move?_

Instead of answering her, he slid his hand up to tangle with her tresses, listening out for any of those breathy sounds she tended to make when he had his hands on her. 

“What’re you doing?” she groaned lowly, leaning back into his hand. 

“Trying to kiss my girlfriend if she would stop moving,” he whispered back with a smile, feeling the flutter of her heartbeat under the hand he had splayed between her bare shoulders. 

“Why didn’t you say so?” 

“Spontaneity, maybe?” 

“What?” she screeched before being shushed for her loudness, sending a worried look at the door before turning back to him with a look of incredulity as she whispered, “Fuck spontaneity!” 

And he did. Laughing at his girlfriend’s vulgar declaration, he lunged up and captured her lips in his, drinking up the moan that escaped her like it was cold water and he was a thirsty man. His fingers flexed against her bare back and the ones still caught up in her hair roughly combed through the strands to find the nape of her neck where he put just enough pressure to get her to deepen the kiss. 

He knew he would get a lot of shit for admitting it to anyone else, but when they kissed it felt like that first night at the Winter Formal all over again. When there were blue stars glowing under their eyelids and her lips tasted like the raspberry soda they shared. 

_Heaven, it was pure heaven._

The sky got lighter outside as they kissed until they finally pulled back, mouths breathing hard and tingling with the taste of raspberry from the best and worst night of their lives. Isaac felt the hand in her hair loosen of his own accord in favor of bringing her head down gently to rest on his chest, Vanessa releasing a soft, breathy sigh as she closed her eyes and melted into his embrace. 

He lived for the feeling of her in his arms, of this peace that she brought him in their world full of supernatural creatures, violent conflicts and guarded turmoil. He made a promise to her when he pressed a kiss to her forehead and murmured his goodnight. That he would figure out how to put a stop to the nightmares. How he would get Allison to call her back. How he would keep her safe from Gerard, from the kanima, from Matt, from everyone who would hurt her. 

He would figure it out somehow. He promised her that. 

\- 

“We need to talk.” 

Stiles flinched back as the red tray slammed down on the cafeteria table. He threw an annoyed look at the boy who had seated himself across from him. Instinctively, he searched the room for any sign of Scott or Vanessa, hoping the latter might arrive to put her boyfriend on a leash before he could do anything that would make that smug, arrogant little smirk of his grow any larger. 

“Mmmmm, yeah, so, you see, the last time you and I talked, I was threatened so I’m gonna have to ask for a raincheck – “ 

“That’s good,” Isaac hummed, tilting his head to the side to nod at Stiles like he was dumb or something, “Because I’m not here to threaten you.” 

“That’s great but that just means you’re here for something else and that seems even worse than you threatening me so,” Stiles slapped his hands onto the table to help himself up, “If you excuse me, I’m – “ 

“I have something that might help us figure out why Matt’s killing people.” 

Stiles’ head snapped to Isaac’s direction and the boy fell back into his seat to eagerly hear his explanation, “Really? What?” 

Isaac’s lips thinned out and he leaned forward before muttering, “Listen, when Matt got released from the station and came to school that morning, I confronted him. Knocked him around a little, no biggie – “ 

“Yeah, speaking as someone who has **personally** been knocked around by you lot I can say with full confidence that it is definitely not a ‘no biggie’ situation,” Stiles started defensively before catching the dangerous look in Isaac’s eyes and backing up with his hands raised, “But considering you were knocking around the psycho murder master who has been trying to kill us all, you have the Stilinski stamp of approval. Continue.” 

The boy rolled his eyes at his antics and continued, “As I was saying, he said something about my father and brother that really bugged me.” 

Stiles frowned, “Yeah, makes sense. Your family isn’t exactly the Brady Bunch, dude.” 

“Yes, but he shouldn’t know anything about it. He didn’t know what my father was doing, just like most of the town and Cam….Cam wasn’t like my father. He was a good person. And besides, as far as I knew, Matt never met him before he left.” 

“So, maybe he was saying it just to get under your skin? He is a bit of a dickhead if you hadn't noticed.” 

“But since then, I’ve been having these dreams. Nightmares.” 

“Of what?” Stiles asked, genuinely curious as he leaned on his elbows. 

“This one night, back in Junior high, a year before my brother joined the Army. My brother had his friends over, the ones from the Swim Team, and they were laughing at something. I hear my dad yelling and then I’m underwater, drowning.” 

Stiles’ had been skeptical as Isaac recounted his nightmare, knowing the symptoms of PTSD intimately but as soon as he mentioned being underwater, he felt a lightbulb go off in his brain. Snapping his head up to consider the boy carefully, he remembered his first close encounter with the kanima and what Deacon said about how some of the characteristics passed to the kanima are actually from the master. 

“The fear of water isn’t from Jackson,” Stiles murmured in realization, “Matt can’t swim.” 

Isaac raised a brow at the mumbling, drawling, “Right, but what does that have to do – “ 

Stiles cut him off by abruptly pushing back his chair, stumbling to his feet and sprinting out of the cafeteria, leaving in his wake a stunned werewolf staring after him. Isaac had no clue what just happened but he felt like he gave Stiles more answers than he himself was receiving. 

The familiar click-clack of high heels on the tile floor stopped behind him and he leaned back as two hands grasped at his shoulders and soft lips pressed themselves against his cheek. 

“What has you all slack jawed, Handsome?” Vanessa purred against his ear, sending shivers down his spine. 

“Tried to get some help from one your best friends but he ran off halfway through,” he grumbled back, folding his arms over one another and bringing them to his chest with a huff. 

“Poor baby,” she cooed sweetly, laughter ringing from her voice as she wrapped her arms around his chest, “Stiles does that sometime. Me and Scott have learnt to just roll with it. He’ll explain later.” 

She straightened up as she caught sight of strawberry blonde hair across the room and patted her boyfriend’s shoulder sympathetically, shooting him a quick smile as she said, “I have to go talk to Lydia but I’ll see you in Math?” 

He nodded absentmindedly, still stuck on figuring out what the hell Stiles was going on about before he left. Vanessa noticed him spacing out and rolled her eyes, bending down to plant another kiss on his cheek before heading over to where Lydia Martin sat by herself, texting away on her phone while she sipped on her strawberry milkshake. 

She raised a perfectly arched brow when Vanessa took a seat across from her and released her straw with a pop as the brunette got straight to the point, “Alright, your birthday is coming up and we all know what that means. So, what do I need to bring to be invited to one of Lydia Martin’s prestigious invite only birthday bashes?” 

“Honey, please, we don’t call them birthday bashes anymore,” Lydia rolled her eyes in distaste before nonchalantly turning back to her phone, “Besides, I’m not having one.” 

If the world was spinning like a record, it just got stopped. 

It was happening. Lydia Martin had officially lost the plot. 

“ _ **Blasphemy!**_ ” Vanessa hissed, making a dramatic show of looking around the room to see if anyone heard before turning back to her friend to mumble quietly, “But it’s the biggest event of the year!” 

Lydia shrugged, “Just don’t feel like it.” 

She felt one of her eyes twitched at the response and felt her lips twist up into a silent gasp before she composed herself. After inspecting the girl for a moment more, she deduced that she wasn’t texting as she once assumed. No, the strawberry blonde was scrolling through the old messages in her inbox and opening them up to give the illusion she was checking new ones. 

It was at that moment that Vanessa realized and felt her eyes widen. 

“Lydia, tell me the _real_ reason that you’re not having a birthday party?” 

Groaning in frustration, Lydia slammed her phone down and turned wide, green eyes onto the brunette as she gritted her teeth, “Because what’s the use in throwing a party no one will come to? I’m a pariah in this town!” 

“You think that means that no one will come to your party? I’ll be there. I know Scott and Stiles will go. So will Allison. Isn’t that who counts?” 

Lydia turned away with a scoff, “You obviously don’t get it.” 

“Then help me understand,” Vanessa pleaded softly, “Please.” 

The girl tried to smile but it shortly ended up twisted into a grimace as she sighed with a shake of her head, “I used to rule this school. People used to see me walk down these halls and crane their necks. I used to have respect, popularity, power, and it’s all _gone_. Jackson dumped me out of fucking nowhere. I got attacked by a werewolf on the night of _my_ winter formal. I somehow managed to escape the hospital I was in, in favor of a three-day trek through the woods naked in the middle of winter. Then I come back to this hellhole and suddenly I’m the crazy naked woods girl.” 

“You don’t understand because you never had _**it**_ , Vanessa. The thrill of knowing that people fell over themselves for such small stuff like the invite to one of your parties or the seat at the same table you sat at. I had that and it’s _gone_. I don’t want to throw a birthday party. I want to throw the biggest event of the year!” 

She trailed off after that, picking up her strawberry milkshake and looking away to hide the vulnerability flashing behind her green eyes. Vanessa stared at her aghast, her jaw opening and shutting as she tried to find the words, the right words to give her. It was difficult because the person Lydia said was gone, she was still there in front of her. It wasn’t the people that gave Lydia her power. It was Lydia Martin herself. The fact that whenever Vanessa thought about her, it was always by her full name. Normal people didn’t have themselves referred to by others by their full fucking name. 

Only celebrities and Lydia fucking Martin. 

This girl had been her role model since kindergarten when she managed to make every single guy in their class fall in love with her. Where she aced her classes, where she came to school in the newest fashion and where people would whisper about her in reverence. When Lydia walked by, people stopped what they were doing because she was above whatever the hell was happening in their drab little lives. 

Sure, now they whispered about in caution, with sneers and mocking glares but Lydia Martin would **always** be seen and if she thought that just because they whispered bad things that she didn’t hold power, she wasn’t as smart as she liked to think she was. 

“Can’t you see? The very fact that you still hold their attention, that you still have them whispering about you, even though it’s been literal _weeks_ since the formal, is an example of just how much power you still hold over these idiots!” Vanessa smiled with a wicked gleam in her eyes as she leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially, “Let Scott handle the lacrosse boys, I will talk some of their girlfriends into showing up and you will have every other follower in this joint **_begging_** for an invite.” 

“What makes you so sure?” 

“Because I used to be one of them,” Vanessa admitted shamelessly, grinning slyly when the strawberry blonde raised her brow once more, “Don’t act so surprise! I changed my entire wardrobe to impress you and it worked didn’t it? If I can spend my entire summer obsessing over impressing you, despite the fact you treated me and my friends like dirt, what do you think this entire school will do if they find out you’re on your way to reclaiming your title as the HBIC of Beacon Hills High.” 

The brunette watched as Lydia processed her words, going over them in her head. She watched entranced as her blush red lips curled up into a winning smile as she corrected sweetly, “I think you mean HBIC of Beacon Hills. **Period**.” 

Just like that, Lydia Martin was back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few questions:  
> \- What do you guys think about Isaac's dreams?  
> \- Did you guys like his little scene with Vanessa and did you want more? Suggestions?


	36. (This Isn't You) Is It The Full Moon or Is It Lydia Martin's Fruit Punch?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come once again.  
> Tonight is the night of the full moon and everyone can feel it.  
> Vanessa helps Derek chain up her friends so they don't break out and kill everyone.  
> A seemingly harmless party provides the perfect opportunity for a certain red head to get up to some mischief.  
> Vanessa and her friends come face to face with their deepest, darkest fears and not everyone will come out of it unscathed.  
> Derek struggles with his three Betas on the night of the full moon. Especially when they all manage to somehow escape their chains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I promised that shit would go down this chapter and I like to think I keep my promises! This is perhaps my favorite chapter so far out of the entire series, I am really proud of it and I am excited to hear what you guys thought of it! Thank you again for all your beautifully inspiring comments and feedback, they are literally what drives me to continue putting so much effort into writing this fic, so thank you! As always, all comments, feedback, suggestions and criticisim is not only welcomed but deeply appreciated but please be kind x  
> If anyone has any questions, my inbox is open at any time!  
> Thank you and enjoy x

Tonight was the night.  


She could feel it in the air when she woke up beside Isaac that morning. He had been awake for several hours before she even opened her eyes and she knew that it was happening. It was strange, to say the least.  


Vanessa rolled onto her side with a sleepy smile on her face, watching as the rays of sunlight caressed the lighter strands of his hair before she noticed the rigid lines of his jaw, his deep set blue eyes trained on the ceiling fan with a level of intensity that put her on edge.  


“Hey,” she mumbled as she propped herself up on her elbow, extending the other hand well above her head to stretch her strained muscles as she mumbled, “How long have you been up?”  


“I don’t think I went to sleep,” Isaac replied, his brows furrowing slightly.  


Vanessa frowned at that. Her eyes ran down his body and took notice of the way his fingers curled around her white cotton sheets, the veins in the back of his hands pulsing as if by continuing the simple motion he could gain control of whatever feelings were circulating inside of him. She didn’t know what the full moon felt like. Derek always looked like he was unfazed by it. Scott just turned into a massive asshole with anger issues in the past but she had never really understood the emotional toll it had on the werewolves.  


It was like looking at the boy on his first full moon, when he and Scott had practically tackled each other in midair and landed on the ground, growling loudly at each other. He was tense, _too tense_ , and it was a tension that she was unaccustomed to seeing from him.  


Isaac looked like he was seconds away from becoming unhinged and she knew that she needed to keep a wide berth of it. For his sake and hers.  


Sliding out from under the sheets, she grabbed her phone and wandered out of the room, looking back to see if he noticed her leaving. His eyes remained on the ceiling.  


She closed the door to the bathroom and ran the facet before dialing Derek’s number.  


“I was just about to call you,” the Alpha answered quietly, presumably catching onto the running water in the background, “How’s he doing?”  


“He told me he hadn’t slept _all night_ , Derek, and now he’s staring up at the ceiling like it’s the one thing he can stand to look at! So, you tell me!”  


“ _Fuck. Look, if you can get him to the Den, he’ll be fine. Erica and Boyd are already here, and they say that they feel better than they did when they were by themselves. It’s better when you’re around pack._ ”  


“What if he doesn’t want to go?”  


“ _Nessa, just get him in the car and drive to the Den._ ”  


She ran a stressed hand through her messy hair, still tangled from sleep and groaned, “You better be right about this, Derek Hale.”  


“ _See you soon_.”  


The click of call ending made her blood pressure rise and she took the opportunity to splash some water onto her face to calm her down. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and commanded her face to not give away her panic. What Isaac needed right now was for her to keep her head, to remain calm and to trust him and herself.  


After taking a few deep breaths to level out her breathing, she almost fooled herself into thinking she had her panic all under control until she opened the bathroom door and shrieked.  


Because waiting for her on the other side, was Isaac.  


There was an eerie look in his eyes as they settled on her and she had to force herself to remain rooted on the spot instead of doing anything rash that would set him off. Those eyes of his seemed to take great interest in the water droplets dripping down her chin to fall between the valley of her breasts, watching the moisture until it disappeared under her nightshirt and she felt herself warm at the intensity of having his eyes on her, especially when he looked like _that_.  


It was downright terrifying.  


“We going to the Den?” he drawled slowly.  


_Well, he definitely heard everything._  


She decided to play it safe and be honest with him.  


“Yep. If you want to have a shower beforehand – “  


She trailed off as Isaac straightened up from where he had been leaning against the banister, and went completely silent as he moved to tower over her, bending down slightly to level her with his gaze as he murmured softly, “Do you wanna join me?”  


You see, when Isaac sounded like that, it was hard for her to remember all the promises she made about waiting. It was hard to also remember that this probably the full moon talking. It was also hard to remember that he was a ticking time bomb. One moment he could be whispering sweet nothings like this and the next he could be ripping out her throat with his teeth.  


_That sounds **way** hotter than it’s supposed to be. God, I’m messed up._  


With that disturbing realization, Vanessa snapped out of her serious consideration of his offer and smiled nervously, “ _Actually_ , I just had my shower but it’s all yours. Meet you in the car in, say, 20 minutes? Yeah, okay, good chat, enjoy your shower!”  


She could not have run away any faster.  


-  


#### 1 Hour Later

Derek knelt down and popped open the box, revealing the insignia inside.  


Isaac leaned over to run his fingers over it and murmured, “What is that?”  


It was Boyd who answered him. 

“It’s a triskele. Spirals mean different things. Past, present, future. Mother, father, child.”  


Both Derek and Isaac turned to look at the dark skin boy from where he leaned against the metal contraption, his fellow Beta raising an eyebrow in disbelief while his Alpha considered him, dark brows raised high in pleasant surprise.  


Gesturing over to the sigil, Derek asked, “You know what it means to me?”  


The boy shifted his shoulders before responding uncertainly, “Alpha, Beta, Omega?”  


“That’s right,” Derek nodded in approval as he got to his feet, turning to Isaac to further elaborate, “It’s a spiral. It reminds us we can all rise to one or fall to another. Betas can become Alphas, but Alphas can also fall to Betas or even Omegas.”  


“Like Scott?” Isaac questioned stiffly, his voice dropping an octave as he raised his head slowly to meet his Alpha’s eyes.  


“Scott’s with us,” Derek reminded the Beta, his brow twitching slightly as he turned away from Isaac.  


“ _Really_?” Isaac wondered sarcastically, looking around the room with narrowed eyes as he drawled, “Where is he now?”  


Vanessa sighed softly at her boyfriend’s attitude. Isaac hadn’t mellowed out since the morning. She had to practically _seduce_ him into getting into the car and it was only by feeding him did she distract him long enough to escape his grabby little hands. That was why it took them a whole _hour_ to get to the Den. It turns out that when he wasn’t under the duress of lacrosse practice, the full moon just made him super turned on. And hungry, because he scoffed down his Burger King _and_ hers too, much to her chagrin, but she’d rather he tear into her burger than into her. 

In relationships, sacrifices must be made no matter how many secret tears she had shed as she watched him dig into her meal.  


She soon found out, however, that without food and without *special* attention from her, Isaac quickly fell back into his third full moon emotion. A little trait she liked to call _Sarcastic Jackass_.  


It started out with being a bit too harsh at the guy who passed them their meals through the drive through that morning. Then it was the sarcastic comments he made when Scott had rang her up to check what time she was heading over to Lydia's that night. It had only gotten worse when they made it to the Den. Derek had been managing the brunt of it but he was quickly starting to snap at Erica and even had snapped at Boyd when the boy offered to make them up some brunch. _That’s_ how she knew that he was ready to lose it.  


_Only someone unhinged would snap at Boyd? It was fucking Boyd, man, the kid is a big ole' softie. On top of that, he was making them lunch!_  


“He’s looking for Jackson. Don’t worry, he’s not gonna have it easy tonight either. None of us will,” the Alpha shook his head as he crouched down once more to lift and untangle the chains from the box before handing them to Isaac, “There’s a price you pay for this kind of power. You get the ability to heal. But tonight, you’re gonna wanna kill anything you find.”  


Isaac’s eyes shot to the dark-haired girl standing next to Erica, already finding her sapphire blue eyes trained on him. The fact that his control would be compromised tonight slivered around in the back of their heads, a darkness that fluttered at the edge of their vision. More specifically, _hers_. Isaac had already found himself blinking back the red throughout the day, finding that it was the little things that set him off. The Burger King guy almost tipping their food onto Vanessa's lap all because he wanted to touch her hand. Scott calling and keeping her on the phone for a whole twenty minutes because he couldn't seem to get that when Vanessa said she would be arriving at five, she meant _fucking five_. Or even when Boyd brushed up against Vanessa's arm when he was going to the makeshift kitchen to make them some toasties, because it was _totally_ necessary for him to be that close -  


He didn't realize he had started growling until he saw his girlfriend's face. He stopped as soon as he took in the pale shade of her skin and her thundering heart beat, guilt squeezing his heart tight for scaring her. Vanessa tried to send him a reassuring smile, one that he returned with a nod, but he couldn’t coax his lips to give her one of his own. He feared that if his lips peeled back, she would find his teeth sharp and bared in a snarl that spoke of the primal wrath he felt. The need to tear something apart.  


_Not her. Never her._  


As if sensing the buildup tension between the couple, Erica scoffed, rolling her eyes before settling them on Derek, “Good thing I had my period last week, then.”  


Vanessa sighed, her fingers running through her hair as she exchanged a deadpan look with Derek. They both knew that Erica was trying to cover up the fact that she was scared shitless of tonight. It was written in all of them, all the Betas. Their bodies were strung tighter than the chords on a cello, ready to snap at any moment of time. It made her antsy, standing here in a room full of werewolves at war with themselves but she promised them, she promised _herself_ that she would help Derek chain them up and stay for as long as she could before she would meet Stiles and Scott at Lydia’s.  


While the two boys shuffled awkwardly on their feet at the mention of a male's worst fear, Derek smirked slightly and held up what Erica and herself had nicknamed “The Crown” and reminded her, “Remember, this one’s for you.”  


Erica rolled her eyes once more before strutting forward, snatching it out of her Alpha’s hand with a sneer before taking her place beside Vanessa. It was on her way back that she caught the small swallow in her throat and their eyes met, the blonde shooting her a smirk like it would erase the memory of seeing her vulnerable.  


“So,” Erica whispered as she sidled up to the brunette, “When are you heading to Lydia’s?”  


“Around five-ish. Once it gets dark,” she shrugged, fingering the torn denim of her jacket, “I wanna make sure that Derek is set with everything first.”  


“You mean you wanna make sure _Isaac’s_ okay?”  


“I wanna make sure all of you are okay,” Vanessa insisted fiercely, silencing anymore jokes or cheeky grins from the blonde as she whispered, “The only reason I’m not staying until it’s over is because I know the dangers of what might happen if you guys happened to escape. Me being here is one less person you guys will kick yourselves over tearing apart during your wolf rage.”  


“I would love to tell you that I would never hurt you but honestly, you smell _really_ good right now,” Erica giggled slightly as she leaned forward, golden eyes flashing as she inhaled deeply, “Good enough to eat.”  


“ _Erica!_ ” Vanessa scolded her best friend, ignoring the goosebumps that erupted at the sensation of the blonde’s breath hitting her pulse point as she jumped back. To her best friend’s credit, she looked just as shocked by her actions as she did and was about to apologize before a hard body shoved itself in between them.  


A low, dangerous growl echoed through the Den and Vanessa felt all the hairs on her body stand to attention as she saw the pointed ears and the long, fur like hair rippling along the side of Isaac’s jaw as he stared down his fellow Beta, whose face had also morphed into her lupine form as she faced him head on.  


Vanessa was about to pull Isaac back when a strong grip encircled her arm. Derek slowly pulled her away from the two volatile werewolves, letting go quickly but not moving away from her as he whispered, “Whatever you do, **do not** try to get between the two of them. Not tonight of all nights.”  


_Fuck, they wouldn’t be able to control themselves in time if I were to get between them._  


“Full moon. I forgot,” she muttered sheepishly, shifting on her feet as she watched the Betas release warning growls at each other before leaning forward to whisper to their Alpha, “They’re not gonna last much longer.” 

“I know,” Derek replied somberly, gritting his teeth as he released an annoyed sigh, “Alright, here’s what I want you to do.”  


-  


#### 3 PM

“You’ll do anything you can to try to kill me. Then you’ll try to kill each other and anything else with a heartbeat which is why Vanessa’s going to leave straight after we chain you guys up for the night. First things first,” Derek explained, leading them into the cart, “I need you to lock Isaac away from these two.”  


“Why?” the boy in question grunted, moving to bring his chest flush to his girlfriend’s back.  


Vanessa shot him a look at his tone, but he ignored her in favor of staring menacingly at his Alpha. Derek stopped from where he was chaining up Boyd and Erica from across each other and rolled his eyes, “Because right now, you and Erica are agitated at each other. Besides, I can’t have all three of you in the same area and you are the most volatile of them all right now.”  


“I’m fine.”  


The brunette by his side let out a little laugh at that, trailing off as he turned his heated gaze onto her. Swallowing hard at the fact that his wolf eyes were creeping out, her laughter turned nervous as she patted his arm gently and condescendingly murmured, “ _Sureeeee_ you are.”  


Grabbing him by the hand, she led him to the opposite end of the cart and pushed him to where she wanted him. The metal contraption Derek had chosen for him was like a metal belt, supposed to suspend him in one place. She looped the chain connected to the belt around the rails on the wall behind him before leaving them to hang in the center for her to secure with the lock. A matching set of metallic cuffs were clasped onto his wrists a moment later and she ignored the dark look he gave her as she fed the accompanying chains through the loop of each cuff, walking to where the chain for the belt was suspended in the air before connecting them. With the loose bit of chain, she walked backwards and watched as Isaac was tugged in the direction, his growls growing louder as he was dragged back until his shoulders hit the wall.  


Vanessa couldn’t help the smirk that crept onto her lips at the look he threw her and decided quickly that she could get used to chaining him up. _Especially_ if he was going to be jerk on full moons.  


_Yep, there is definitely something wrong with me._  


“You’re enjoying this,” Isaac murmured accusingly to her when she came closer to lock the chains into place and she paused for a moment to look up at him, taking note of the glittery golden hue that had replaced the deep set blue she was so accustomed to.  


For some reason, in that moment, her brain couldn’t process the difference between the werewolf on the brink of loosing control and the boyfriend she was used to and in a stupid move only Vanessa O’Connor would pull, she decided to have a bit of fun.  


_It’s not everyday you get to chain your boyfriend up._  


“Perceptive, aren’t you? That’s good. Keep up the control and we’ll get you outta here in no time, babe.”  


Isaac chuckled. It was not the carefree, adorable little chuckle she was used to hearing from him. It was dark, it was sinister, and it dragged up her back like phantom claws as he leaned forward so that his nose was buried deep in her hair as he whispered.  


“ _Control_? You think that I have any control when I’m around you? It doesn’t matter what moon is in the sky, Beautiful. Whenever I’m around you, I’m holding onto it by a _**thread**_.”  


His lips ticked the lobe of her ear as he snickered under his breathe, “ _God_ , the **things** I want to do to you right now. The things you make me want to do to you. Those little sounds you make – sometimes I think you _know_ what I want, and you do them on purpose to drive me insane. Is that what you want to do? Drive me crazy until I **touch** you? I think you do, Ness. You _like_ to have control, don’t you, love? You like chaining me up, to know I can’t touch you, but you want me to, right, love?”  


Isaac couldn’t move his hands but he could move his body as far as the chains would allow him to and she hadn’t move from where she had locked the chains up tight above his head. He brought his chest flush against her own and with his hands above her like that, she could admit that he still managed to surround her, to make it so that he had the upper-hand, or at least, the illusion of one. His lips curled up and she thought she saw a hint of white fang before he whispered down at her, the faint British accent she often caught in the echo of his words becoming more prominent as his voice dropped an octave and became as soft as sin.  


“You’ve had your fun, but I know that you absolutely _**love it**_ when I touch you. Let me out of these chains so that that I can give us both what we want. Come on, I know you want to.”  


_Ohhh, he’s good._  


She leaned in so that her lips danced against the air over his own and she let him entertain the idea that she was debating actually _doing_ what he asked, what he was _begging_ her for before her eyes flared in victory. A soft giggle escaped her and she saw his own eyes flash in warning as she whispered.  


“I. Don’t.Think.So.”  


Vanessa drew back with a light laugh as Isaac growled out at her teasing and she grinned at him, “You know, I could get used to this. You have quite the mouth on you babe, you should use it more. Now, be a good Beta and don’t try and wreck all your girlfriend’s hard work otherwise you’ll regret it when you’re…. well, _you_ again, okay?”  


“ **Vanessa** ,” he growled lowly, starting to yank at the chains above his head fiercely, “I’m gonna get out of these and you’ll be sorry.”  


“Ness, stop fucking around with your boyfriend and help me with Erica!”  


She sighed, detecting the frustration lacing the Alpha’s voice and threw a sympathetic look at her boyfriend, risking him biting her hand to pat his cheek twice before waving, “Duty calls, baby.”  


“I need you to hold her,” Derek ordered her after she walked over to them, his eyes stern and annoyed by her encourgaing Isaac’s antics.  


“Why does _she_ get to wear the fancy headband?” Isaac grumbled from the other side of the cart, his curiosity still perked even when he was wrestling with the urge to rip the poles he was chained to out of the wall. His girlfriend did quite the number on him and if it wasn’t for the violence he felt swirling around in the pit of his stomach, he would be doing everything he could to get out of the chains so he could pay her back.  


“Because _she’ll_ be able to withstand more pain than the two of you, but I got an extra one if you _really_ want it,” the man replied tauntingly, which seemed really unfair to Vanessa considering she got the look of disapproval from Derek when she did the exact same thing.  


_How come he’s allowed to antagonize Isaac, but I’m not?_  


Derek’s eyes lowered to meet the steadily growing terror reflected in the gaze of the young blonde before him. Vanessa watched as Derek allowed himself to convey the bare minimum of sympathy to Erica when he asked, “You ready?”  


She felt her best friend’s muscles grow taunt beneath her lacy top before Erica nodded, “Yeah.”  


Derek did a silent check with Vanessa before he lifted the contraption above the blonde's head, slowly settling it to rest in the middle of her forehead. She heard her best friend’s breath hitch, presumably at the cold, sharp metal but it only grew more guttural as Derek started twisting the screw.  


Then the screams started.  


Vanessa closed her eyes but held on as tight as possible, hugging her friend more than entrapping her as she whispered, “It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay.”  


Derek didn’t stop screwing and Erica didn’t stop screaming.  


Vanessa didn’t let go.  


-  


#### 4 PM

Turns out, that even _after_ Derek had stopped screwing, the screams weren’t going to stop anytime soon. Boyd had started growling uncontrollably, growing more agitated by Erica’s wild shrieks. After an hour of what seemed like endless, agonizing, screams and growls, it became something akin to background noise and Vanessa was disturbed to say that she found it pretty easy to drown it out.  


She was sitting on a chair, legs propped up on the one across from hers. She was currently in the middle of a staring contest with her golden eyed werewolf boyfriend at the other end of the cart, one that she knew was ultimately driving the dominant creature within him crazy but hey, what could she say? She wasn’t one to lose.  


Derek had his back to her but he knew exactly what the two were doing. He was currently testing the strength of the chains keeping Isaac in place and he found himself nodding in approval at Vanessa’s handiwork. He glanced up once more to check if the Beta had looked away and clicked his tongue in disapproval when he saw that his stare was still trained on the girl behind him.  


Isaac sneered at the sound and snapped his head to the side to meet his Alpha’s eyes to growl out, “How do you _not_ feel this?”  


“I feel this,” Derek responded with a grunt as he tugged at the chains, “I feel every second of it.”  


“Then how do you control it?”  


"You know how I control it. Anger. You know it won't work for you. You want to know how _you_ can control it." 

He glanced back at the brunette lounging in the midst of the werewolves that could tear her apart and shook his head at her. He leaned forward so as to block his Beta’s view of the girl and told him quietly, “You know who she is to you. Focus on her. The real her, not the things your wolf will try and trick you to focus on. You’re not like the others, Isaac. Your wolf will hunt and kill but it wants one thing more than any hunt, any kill could satisfy. It wants **_her_**.”  


“Then let me go.”  


“Trust me, you _don’t_ want that.”  


“Why the hell not?”  


“Because you don’t want her to see you like that.”  


“She’s seen it before. She _knows_ – “  


“ ** _Not like this_** ,” Derek insisted harshly, his eyes piercing into Isaac’s as he told him, “She’s _human_. If you go to her now, like _this_ , you won’t be able to control yourself! You will _break_ her. You will **kill** her, Isaac, do you understand me?”  


The Beta fell silent at that, his jaw clenched so tight he could practically hear his teeth grinding against each other to keep from snapping his jaw. Satisfied that he made his point, he tested the railing once more. He heard the bolts fall out before the metal twisted.  


He and Isaac shared a look of dread before Erica and Boyd’s noise lowered to a deep rumble. Derek chanced a look over his shoulder and found their golden eyes trained on the group at the back. 

More specifically, on the girl who was peering over the chair to look at them in fear.  


Isaac looked at him once more and he was startled by the look of profound terror and determination that met him as the boy shouted, “Get Nessa out of here! Get her out of here _now_ , Derek!”  


“ ** _Vanessa!_** ”  


“Fuck, I know!” she cried back, jumping up from the seat and sprinting to the door, risking a moment to pause in the doorway. She looked back at Isaac and sent him one last, regretful look before disappearing up the staircase.  


Derek let out the breath he had been holding and turned back to Isaac.  


Jerking back when he was met with the face of a werewolf who had jumped over the edge.  


-  


#### 5 PM

Her heart had not stopped thundering the whole drive to Lydia’s. She had stopped at one point to change in the bathroom at the mall, fixing up her hair and makeup so that it was presentable. She used the last bit of her weekly allowance to buy a bottle of Bacardi, knowing the strawberry blonde would appreciate the sentiment.  


Now, Vanessa was at the door and she felt déjà vu creep up on her as she checked herself out in the mirror. Little black dress was always a safe bet to go but she decided that putting on leggings was an even _safer_ bet, black knitted ones that matched the flat ankle boots she had found in the trunk. _Especially_ on the night of the full moon.  


She pressed the doorbell and flipped her hair back from her shoulders as the door opened, Lydia Martin appearing on the other side with a tray full of what looked like punch balanced with ease in her left hand.  


“Sorry, I’m late but I figured I’d make an entrance,” Vanessa laughed lightly as Lydia smirked, playfully snatching the bottle from her hands before waving her in, “Run out of punch yet?”  


“There’s enough to go around,” Lydia replied, mischief flashing in her green eyes as she handed Vanessa a glass, “Here, help yourself.”  


“Thanks. I’m going to go find Scott and Stiles, but didn’t I tell you? Any party thrown by Lydia Martin is one for the ages!”  


Vanessa took a sip of the drink as she weaved through the throes of bodies lost in the music, licking her lips thoughtfully as she considered the glass in her hand. Something about the way it smelt was familiar to her and she wondered if Lydia took it upon herself to mix alcohol.  


_God, I hope not. I don’t need to get drunk on the full moon, that’s just begging for trouble._  


She thought she caught sight of Scott talking to Lydia on the other side of the pool and wondered how the strawberry blonde had gotten to him before her. She roughly shoved at the kids making out until she had a clear path but when she managed to make her way over to where he had been standing, he was gone.  


Damning werewolf speed to hell, she downed the rest of her punch in one go and turned around to try to find Stiles in the masses, wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand.  


“Great, ‘cause this is what I need right now. My two best friends off doing God knows what with God knows who on the worst night of the month!” she mumbled to herself as she pushed her way back through the crowd to head inside, “I need another drink if I’m going to be searching for their asses all night long.”  


-

#### ALLISON

On the other side of the house, unbeknownst to Vanessa that she was even at this party, Allison was walking into the guest bedroom fully aware that she was being followed. She had caught sight of him from the second story window, watching him with narrowed eyes as he walked up the driveway.  


She had swallowed the bile that had crept up her throat and blinked back the tears that burned at the corners of her eyes.  


She knew what she had to do. She just needed to actually _do it_.  


She stopped in the middle of the room and turned just as the door creaked close.  


_Good_. That way nobody would see what she was about to do.  


Allison spun around on her heel to meet Matt’s eyes, watching with a carefully composed face as they trailed down the length of her body, mouth curling up at the pink of her skirt. She **hated** that feeling, hated standing there and letting him do it but she needed to be careful. _Patient_. If she were to act to quickly, she would ruin it.  


“Aren’t you pushing it just a bit, Matt?” she started through gritted teeth, “Just because I didn’t let them throw you in jail doesn’t mean you can go back to stalking me.”  


Matt sighed, running his hands through his hair.  


“Allison, they were just pictures!”  


“Pictures of me in my room. Pictures you took _in_ my room!” she raised a brow to let him know that if his bullshit excuses wouldn’t work on the cops, they definitely wouldn’t work on her, “Tell your lies to someone who'll believe them.”  


“I just – I just wanted to show you how beautiful you are. To show what true beauty looked like in a – in a photographic lens. It’s called candid shots.”  


“It sounds like _stalking_ to me and if I remember correctly, it was what you were charged with!”  


"Are you still mad about last Tuesday? Because – “  


Allison had to laugh a little at that. It was an ugly laugh though, empty of all humor.  


“When you called me a **slut**? When you lied about those photos being **consensual**?” she reminded him with a vicious smile that ended on her lips as venom burned behind her cold, dark eyes, “I’m not _mad_ at you, Matt. No, no, I’m _**disgusted**_ by you. Your entire existence is like ash in my mouth and not even bleach could get rid of the sickening feeling your presence leaves me with. But no, I’m not mad. _This_ is not anger. This is **payback**.”  


He barely got the chance to move before she shoved him back into the door, the knife that she holstered under her skirt glinting in the pale moonlight outside as it danced across the pale skin at his neck as she grunted, “This is payback for _me_ and for everyone you ever hurt – “  


“What are you talking about!” Matt gasped against her blade, inhaling sharply as the tip dug into his throat slightly.  


“ **SHUT IT!** ” Allison ordered, shoving him roughly as she spat, “You’re a fucking psycho and I’m not going to let you get away with it anymore.”  


Just as she pulled her arm back ready to stab the knife into his jugular, he disappeared. Her breathe hitched and she let out a haggard gasp as she spun around, trying to find out where he went. 

When she turned back around to face the doors, she found them opened and caught sight of him disappearing downstairs with a smirk.  


Suddenly, the knife in her hands grew longer, narrower and lighter to hold. The silver arrow glinted harshly in contrast to the all-black assemble Allison wore as she walked out after him, ready to hunt down her prey and end his murder spree once and for all.  


-  


#### STILES

Stiles stood frozen as he stared across the aqua blue waters of Lydia Martin’s pool at his dad, stumbling around in a black suit with a bottle of Jack clutched in his red fisted hands.  


“It’s _you_ , it’s all _you_ ,” Sheriff Stilinksi mumbled with such derision that Stiles leaned back despite the fact an entire pool separated them, “You know, everyday I saw her lying in that hospital slowly _dying_ …..I thought ‘how the _**hell**_ am I supposed to raise this _stupid_ kid on my own? This hyperactive little _bastard_ who keeps **ruining** my life?’”  


His lungs seized up as he listened to his dad spit out the words that belonged to the nightmares he used to wake up to, wondering if they were real.  


Everybody was watching them, everybody had stopped to stare at him and his dad. His eyes burned and his vision blurred as his father lifted the bottle to take another swig, his finger pointed at him accusingly.  


_**This** is why I drink, **you** are why I drink. Look what you made me do!_  


His father wiped at his mouth after he was done before shaking his head at him, “It’s all _you_. It’s you, _Stiles_. **You** killed your mother. You hear me? **YOU** killed her. And now.....you’re killing me.”  


He didn’t look away from his dad, didn’t break his stare as he left the last word hanging in the air between them.  


After a long moment, his dad finally moved.  


Leaning back with the agility and speed his age could only deter him from, Sheriff Stilinski threw the bottle of Jack at his son and Stiles threw his hands up in the half-assed attempt to shield his face from the collision of the soon to be broken, jagged glass.  


The bottle never made contact though.  


He stumbled back against the pillar, breathing haggardly as he looked around for his father. He had disappeared and everybody had returned to their conversation like nothing happened, leaving Stiles with a sickening feeling in his stomach that threatened to make itself known.  


-  


#### SCOTT

The world was spinning as Scott climbed the stairs of Lydia Martin’s house, barely leaning to the side in time to avoid brushing up against the blonde that walked past him. A small, far away voice whispered that it had to be the full moon that made him feel like he was walking in space, one step further and higher than it should be.  


“It’s just the full moon, it’s just the full moon.”  


He didn’t even know he was whispering until the words came out of his mouth. His eyes widened in panic before he shook his head to clear his thoughts. They were just whispers and they weren’t wrong.  


It had to be the full moon. It couldn’t be the punch. He had drank alcohol before, back when him and Allison had broken up the first time after that night they got trapped in the school with Peter breathing down their necks. Stiles had gotten drunk on half a bottle of his dad’s bourbon. Scott had taken a swig and ended up finishing off the other bottle his best friend brought along to ‘cheer him up’. By the end of it, he was still dry sober.  


That meant it had to be the full moon. And since it was the full moon, he knew how to control of it.  


“Think of Allison,” he whispered to himself as he closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, picturing the one girl who could make him feel at ease with just the color of her eyes and the sun behind her smile.  


When he opened his eyes once more, he saw red. Because up the stairs, directly in front of him, Jackson had Allison on the window seat.  


And he was **kissing**

****

He felt his nails sharpen into claws as he watched Jackson’s hands travel up Allison’s milky white thigh before gliding over her dark pink floral dress to settle on her shoulder, his fingers slipping the strap down her arm to expose her collarbone.  


****

When Scott blinked again, he flinched back in horror.  


****

Instead of Jackson on top of Allison, it was the kanima. The couple on the window seat slid their eyes to him, one brown and hooded with lust and the other yellow, slited with reptilian scales flashing with animalistic hunger.  


****

_Even like this, she prefers her with me, McCall_ , Jackson’s voice murmured into his ear, the same arrogant tone he used to humiliate and bully Scott for years ringing long after the voice faded. The anger that he felt did not.  


****

A rage like none other filled him and he gritted his teeth to hold it back, Allison’s breathy moans from the top of the staircase shredding at his restraint and control until he couldn’t hold back the shift anymore.  


****

When Scott opened his eyes for the third time, they were golden.  


****

Scott’s roar echoed through the empty staircase and it was the sound of it, the sound of primal wrath and possessiveness that scared him enough that he stopped to pull himself back. Growling low in his throat, he wrestled back his control until he felt his fangs disappear and his nails grow blunt.  


****

When he looked up, the staircase was empty. Jackson and Allison were gone.  


****

Sweat drenched his entire body, his hair damp against his forehead. He felt the perspiration drip down his face and the ache in his jaw from gritting his teeth. None of this made sense. He had control, he thought of Allison. It had to be the full moon.  


****

But the full moon only made him struggle with control of his shift. It never caused him to hallucinate.  


****

A stone like feeling sank in the bottom of his stomach and he swallowed hard as the taste of Lydia’s punch sweetened his throat in a way that made him want to hurl. Whatever this was, it had nothing to do with the full moon.  


****

“Lydia,” he murmured to the empty staircase before he moved to find the strawberry blonde passing out poison to her party guest like parents with candy on Halloween.  


****

-  


****

#### JACKSON

****

Jackson Whittemore stood in the midst of the crowd at Lydia Martin’s birthday party.  


****

But it was not Jackson Whittemore. At least, not _completely_. 

****

In fact, Jackson could barely remember his name. He knew why he was there but the thought wasn’t explicit. It was an instinct, a feeling that he knew deep down didn’t resonate with his actual will. 

****

It was a voice.  


****

A voice that he could not get out of his head. It had been there for a while now, since that night he first turned. Or at least, the night he first thought he would turn.  


****

_Failure, abomination, wrong._  


****

The voice made him brittle, but deep down, he knew it was right.  


****

Clenching the glass of punch that Lydia passed with stiff fingers, he brought it to the lips with a dead look in his eye.  


****

_You don’t want me there, Lydia. You don’t want me there._  


****

He should have known she would insist. Hell, he had shown up after yelling at her earlier that same fucking day and she had actually looked _pleased_ about it. He treated her like shit yet again. And yet again, she took it and still looked at him like it was worth it. Like _he_ was worth it.  


****

_Useless, stupid, selfish bitch_ , the voice sneered when his eyes collided with hers from across the pool, his lips twitching when she smiled at him softly before turning away. He turned away simultaneously, just in time for him to hide the cruel, unnatural twist of his mouth as the voices fired away again at him.  


****

_Failure, abomination, wrong_ , it reminded him. 

****

As if he could forget.  


****

_I know what I have to do. I know what I have to do._  


****

He actually had no clue what he was doing. He never did. Nevertheless, he had no choice. He **had** to be at his ex-girlfriend’s birthday party for whatever the reason the voice had for him to be there. It was not his place to question it. The voice quietened down when he did what it asked, so he found it easier to go along with it’s directions without any struggle. He had struggled the first time. 

****

He had come to regret it.

****

So, he took a sip and ended up drinking the whole thing in one go. There was nothing the voice said about drinking and he felt like he needed one to get through the pure hell it was to be at this party. To be anywhere near anyone. They all made him……want to kill something.  


****

The thought startled him out of his trance, the trance he usually fell into when the voice started speaking in his head. Something was wrong with him. Actually, now that he had a decent chance to look around the place, something was wrong with everyone.  


****

That’s when he heard _them_.  


****

The glass he had been holding slipped from his fingers, left bouncing on the ground at his feet as he moved forward to look around the thrashing bodies of his classmates dancing to where Lydia stood in front of two adults, her brow raised in surprise while she hesitantly passed out the last glass of punch on the tray she had been nursing the entire night.  


****

That was weird. Usually Lydia would leave the tray inside after she made her rounds in favor for actually enjoying the party, but he had barely seen her dance even _once_ the entire time he was there. Had he? He couldn’t remember for some reason and it was like he knew but he didn’t at the same time. Shaking off the feeling of having the words stuck on the tip of his tongue, he shoved by some people to get a better look at which one of Lydia’s neighbors had finally gotten the courage to come over and tell her to turn the music down.  


****

“His name is Jackson,” he heard the woman tell Lydia and he felt his body freeze up, “We’re looking for Jackson Whittemore.”  


****

_Me? Why the fuck would anyone be looking for me?_  


****

“Has anyone seen Jackson? We’re his parents,” the man by her side asked curiously, although his body language gave nothing away. In fact, the pair were so eerily still, not unlike the mannequins at the mall.  


****

“Mr. Whittemore?” Lydia frowned uneasily, as if she weren’t sure.  


****

_Dad? Why would Dad be here?_  


****

“No, we’re his _**real**_ parents.”  


****

His heart felt like a wet cloth being wringed out thoroughly and his breath seized in his chest.  


****

“No, no, no – “  


****

_That’s impossible._  


****

“Could someone tell him we’re here?”  


****

“Tell him we’re his **real** parents.”  


****

The blood pounded in his ears and it was all he could hear as they turned to face him.  


****

His gasp rang out in the silent patio as everyone turned to stare at him.  


****

They had no faces.  


****

_It’s a nightmare. I’m having a nightmare. Fuck, I’m **living** a nightmare._  


****

He closed his eyes and shouted silently that the nightmares would fucking go away.  


****

That only made the nightmare **worse**.  


****

Because once he closed his eyes, he couldn’t open them again and he knew, he fucking _knew_ that if he could see himself, he would see nothing there.  


****

He had no face.  


****

He wasn’t Jackson Whittemore.  


****

He was nothing.  


****

-  


****

#### VANESSA

****

“Fucking hell!” Vanessa growled in frustration as she charged into the empty bathroom on the first floor, slamming the door shut behind her before throwing her back into it, “This is the last time I let them go to a party without me!”  


****

Breathing heavily, she stumbled over to the white basin and jerked her head up at the mirror in surprise.  


****

_I admit, I'm a bit of a light weight, but I only had one drink! I should not be stumbling already._  


****

She ran the back of hand along her forehead and sniffed in disgust when it came back shining with sweat. It had been getting increasingly warmer the longer she searched the house for the two boys but here, in the bathroom, it was like a fucking _furnace_. Her hair was sticking to her shoulders, the skin at her collarbones and throat glittering with perspiration and she groaned.  


****

_Please tell me I have no been running around looking like the Wicked Witch of the West after Dorothy dumped that bucket of water on her._  


****

Turning on the faucet with a heavy sigh, she ducked down to splash some water onto her face before snatching the hand towel off the rack above her head, dabbing at her cheeks – because she had learnt the lesson of how rubbing only leaves you looking raw as a rubber – before she straightened up with a tired look at the mirror.  


****

What she saw staring back at her made her scream in shock, her hand flying to her throat.  


****

“ _Oh my fucking god!_ ” she shrieked, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as the adrenaline drained out of her limbs, “You scared the fucking **_shit_** out of me! What the **hell** are you doing here?”  


****

Isaac smirked at her in the mirror and shrugged, “Wanted to see my beautiful girlfriend after she so _graciously_ left me in the Den. Do you know how agonizing it was trying to have an _actual_ conversation with Derek while Erica and Boyd were making so much noise?”  


****

Vanessa was at a lost for words at that.  


****

_How the fuck is he here right now? Surely Derek wouldn’t let him leave, even if he did find a way to control his shift! Isaac knows better to come to a place full of people on his second full moon! What the fuck is he even doing here? Where’s Derek? Who’s looking after Erica and Boyd –_  


****

“Speechless, Beautiful?” her boyfriend taunted playfully, his warm breath hitting her neck in just the right spot to make her shiver, her lashes fluttering as her eyes rolled into the back of her head for the second time in five minutes, “You seemed to have a lot to say when I was all chained up back there. What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?”  


****

Her eyes snapped open and she was reminded of his parting words to her before she left.  


****

_“I’m gonna get out of these and you’ll be sorry.”_  


****

“Baby – “  


****

“ _Shhhhh_ ,” he cooed softly, his warm fingers burning through her knitted stockings as they brushed against her thigh, his hands coming to rest low on her hips, “I made a promise and I intend to keep it.”  


****

Faster than she could process, he spun her around and picked her up, practically pushing her into the basin until he came to situate himself in the space between her legs. His eyes, dark with lust but thankfully still as blue as ever, settled on her own with a look that spoke lengths of what promises he intended to keep. They were silent promises, promises that couldn’t be spoken out loud for legal and religious reasons. They were promises that would offend the gods and she could hear them all, whispering temptingly in her ear as those fingers came to play with the hem of her dress.  


****

“Isaac, wait! _What_ \- ?” her protest was cut off by his lips crashing against hers, fast and hard enough that their teeth clashed and banged roughly against each other before they came to nibble at her bottom lip, at the corners of her mouth, even catching her tongue at one stage.  


****

The kiss was gritty, messy, thick with blood and saliva. The paste of her lipstick was a bitter taste on her tongue, but she couldn’t find it within herself to care, not when his fingers inched the hem of her dress higher and higher –  


****

“Wait, Isaac, **stop**!” she ripped her mouth away from him, pulling back far enough that he wouldn’t be able to make a dive for her lips without her seeing it coming, “What’s going on? How are you here? Where’s Derek? What are you – “  


****

“ _Ahhhh_ ,” he drawled, a sardonic smile like no other that she had ever seen him wear – at least, not while they were together – formed on those bloody lips of his, lips red with her blood, and she felt her head spin as he laughed at her when he said, “You just don’t shut up, don’t you? Maybe that should be our thing. You can chain me up and I can shut you up. That way we can be fucked up together, yeah? That way, you don’t have to keep all those messed up thoughts to yourself.”  


****

His words confused her, echoing in her head long after he finished talking. She couldn’t make the words match up with Isaac, at least, the Isaac that she knew. Her boyfriend would never speak like that, would never speak _to her_ like that. Hearing him say those words, such dirty, crude words made her feel…..  


****

_Admit it, it turned you on to hear him say those things to you._  


****

Sure, they made her feel hotter than hell, but the simple fact was they also felt **wrong**. She knew Isaac, knew him better than she thought she would in the short time they had been together. He was soft and gentle and loving, and not _once_ did he show her a side of him that would entertain the sort of thoughts, the sort of words he said to her just now.  


****

No matter how they made her feel, the words _weren’t_ right.  


****

“Messed up thoughts? Baby, what – ?“ she started before she realized what he had actually said, what he had revealed by telling her that. She froze up, her hands snatching away from where they had been fisted in his shirt.  


****

He shouldn’t know a damn thing about what she thinking back in the Den.  


****

He shouldn’t know a damn thing about anything she was thinking.  


****

“Isaac, how do you know about that?”  


****

Isaac just smirked at her and rose his index finger up to his lips, his eyes glinting gold as he whispered.  


****

“It’s a secret – “  


****

His whisper was cut off by the arrow that was lodged in the side of his head.  


****

Standing at the door, from head to toe in black, was Allison Argent with her crossbow still raised.  


****

-  


****

A scream erupted from the house and Scott and Stiles snapped their heads towards the inside of the house.  


****

They turned to each other at the same time and whispered in dread, “Vanessa.”  


****

They both stumbled to their feet, leaving the girl who dunked Stiles in the pool just sitting on the ground with a look of bewilderment on her face before she shrugged with a sniff.  


****

“No need to thank me. It’s not like I’m the reason your boy can walk or anything.”  


****

Scott and Stiles practically climbed over each other to reach the bathroom at the end of the hall. What they saw stopped them in their tracks. Allison was standing in the doorway, her arm raised in midair as she pointed at the bathroom, her other hand seemingly trying to pull her arm down as she pleaded to herself to _stop, to put the crossbow down_.  


****

When they dared to move closer, they caught sight of Vanessa leaning over the bathtub, sobbing uncontrollably as she petted empty air. Scott thought he heard Isaac’s name in the midst of her crying. He and Stiles exchanged a perplexed look before they were drawn back to the scene before them when Vanessa stood up to face the dark haired with a look of such hurt and betrayal, they flinched backwards.  


****

“You **_bitch_**! How _could_ you?! **HOW FUCKING COULD YOU!?** ”  


****

Vanessa ran at her and tackled her to the ground, knocking the air out of the dark-haired girl long enough for her to get a loud, stinging slap in, “He was **_mine!_** He was **MINE** and you fucking **SHOT** him! **YOU FUCKING SHOT ISAAC!** ”  


****

“ **HEY!** Hey, Ness! _Ness_ , get off her!” Stiles shouted and in a panic, he staggered over to his best friend and dragged her off of Allison, giving the girl a chance to roll out of the road. He waited until Scott helped the dark-haired girl to her feet and over to the wall before he turned to face Vanessa, who was thrashing in his arms in a fit of fury and grief. One he had never seen on his best friend in all the time they had known each other.  


****

“ **NO! NO! GET THE FUCK OFF ME! SHE NEEDS TO _PAY_ FOR WHAT SHE’S DONE!**”  


****

From where Scott had her on the other side of the room, he heard Allison cry softly to herself, “I didn’t mean it - I – I tried to stop her – I _tried_ – “  


****

“Tried to stop who?” Scott questioned, his head spinning as he tried to make sense of what was happening, “What the hell happened, Allison?”  


****

“ **LOOK IN THE BATHTUB! LOOK IN THE BATHTUB AND SEE WHAT YOUR PRECIOUS FUCKING GIRLFRIEND DID!** ” Vanessa screamed from behind him.  


****

He looked at the bathroom door apprehensively and slowly got to his feet, glancing once more to watch as Allison sank to the ground to bring her knees to her chest before he slowly inched his way into the room. He inspected the entire space for anything that might be out of place before finally looking in the bathtub. What he found made him even more confused.  


****

“Ness……there’s nothing there.”  


****

The sounds that escaped his best friend ripped through his ears. They sounded like a cat had been dragged through a pit of hot coals before finally being put out of it’s misery. Her agonized cries trailed off into sloppy sobs as she collapsed into Stiles’ arms, her words slurring off into incomprehensible blabbering.  


****

“You _never_ believe me. I didn’t believe me. I should have listened and now he’s _dead_. He’s _**dead**_! _She_ **killed** him and he’s fucking dead! I **_loved_** him and I never got to tell him because she fucking _shot_ him. _You_ shot him, Allison. You shot him and now he’s **dead!** ”  


****

“I’m _sorry_ , Ness,” Allison cried out, the sound of her head banging against the wall resounding in the empty hall, “I didn’t know – I thought it was, I saw _him_. I saw _Matt_ standing there and I thought it was him. I thought it was him – wait, no that’s a lie. I saw _him_. I saw _Isaac_ and I saw his eyes. They were **gold** , Nessa, and it’s the full moon. _You know_ they can’t control themselves on the full moon. He was going to **kill** you, Nessie, so I had to kill him first. Hate me, hate me if you want. I sometimes hate me too. I hate crying but I changed. I became stronger. You can become stronger too, Nessa. You just need to **STOP FUCKING CRYING!** ”  


****

Scott and Stiles stared aghast as the dark-haired girl started trailing off into maniacal laughter while the brunette across the hall from her started crying again, spitting hateful words at the girl she claimed as her best friend. The two boys had no clue what was happening with any of them, but they knew how to snap them out of it.  


****

“Scott, run the bath,” Stiles breathed out, tightening his hold as Vanessa’s cries turned violent again and she started shuddering in his grip, “Scott, _hurry!_ ”  


****

“I’m hurrying!” the other boy yelled back as he ran into the bathroom, twisting at the nozzle furiously before plugged the hole.  


****

He winced as he listed to Vanessa scream at Allison, knowing that whatever they were hallucinating was uglier than whatever he had to go through if it made Vanessa sound like that. In all the years he knew her, he had never heard her cry that hard. Whatever she saw had to be _really_ **bad** to make her sound like that.  


****

He waited until the tub was half full before he went back into the hall, helping Allison up and onto the tiles beside the tub. He knelt down beside her and clutched her hands in his before he told her, “I need you to trust me, Allison? You still trust me, don’t you?”  


****

The dead look in her eyes scared him. She didn’t say anything. She just grinned like that was the biggest joke in the world.  


****

He pushed her head underwater just so he could escape from that dead expression.  


****

After a few seconds, he pulled her back up, clapping her back to get any water that she might have inhaled out of her lungs. She choked and spat up quite a mouthful and guilt rode him like a truck. She coughed and collapsed against the side, taking in a few sharp breaths before she finally looked at him.  


****

The scared look in his eyes broke his heart but not as much as the broken, “What happened?”, that followed.  


****

“I’ll explain later,” he promised her before he glanced back out the door to where Vanessa was still screaming in anguish, “Right now, I need you to help me get Ness into the tub.”  


****

-  


****

#### 6 PM

****

"Scott, can you call me back?" Derek said when he reached voicemail, "I'm probably gonna need some help."  


****

He hung up the phone and spun around to face the sounds of agony coming from his three Betas, his brows high on his forehead. If his voice had been a bit high on the phone call, no one would know but himself and Scott. He didn't really have time to antagonize over whether the boy heard the utter panic in his voice, not when he was faced with three werewolves at the end of their leash.  


****

He gritted his teeth at the sound of metal ripping and he cursed silently, knowing that the chains would not hold them all for long. Beads of sweat formed on his brow and he knew he was at a lost. He was an Alpha but on a full moon, his three Betas would have no problem wearing him down until they could go for the kill.  


****

He and Vanessa taught them well.  


****

One of their latest lessons was patience.  


****

Under the influence of the full moon, the nature of the wolf would be more prominent. Though they would be trapped in a frenzy of hunger and primal rage, they would also be able to work more efficiently as a pack, what with the lack of their human fears, doubts and miscommunication. They would rely on their instincts, on their strengths and weaknesses. 

****

They would pick him out first. He was the strongest thing standing in their way so they would know that they had to take him out before they could continue on their hunt for whatever their wolf hungered for. Then nothing and no one would be safe.  


****

" _Definitely_ gonna need some help," he muttered to himself before he walked back into the railway cart, his claws sliding out from his hands as the muscles in his shoulders and biceps flexed in anticipation for one hell of a fight.  


****

When he entered the cart, the three Betas stilled in their thrashing to look at him, their golden eyes unblinking as low, threatening growls escaped them all. All three of them had completely transformed. Boyd was snapping his jaws, half leaning forward, half hovering in front of where Erica pulled at her chains.  


****

He started forward, darting forward at Isaac's attempt to lunge at his neck from where he was chained just behind the door and sent the Beta a glare before focusing his attention on the other two. Isaac roared in response, drawing his attention long enough that Erica was able to completely rip the headband off along with the chain connecting it to the pole before she ran at him.  


****

Dodging a swipe of her claws that would have split the skin at his face, he was unable to grab Isaac in time before the Beta somersalted through the window, curling into himself to avoid catching himself on the fractured glass.  


****

" **ISAAC!** " he shouted to try to get his attention away from his escape but was cut off when Boyd's arms came around his chest, the werewolf snarling in his ear. He used all of his strenght to shove him off long enough to try to make a grab at Erica but Boyd caught him in time and threw him to the floor, his claws glinting in the moonlight as it reflected off the glass before they slashed into his chest.  


****

Erica joined her packmate on the floor, slashing and scratching at their Alpha while he grunted in pain. He wouldn't scream, wouldn't show that weakness even if his Betas kept it up until he was dead. He was their Alpha and he would not show them that they had dominated him.  


****

When Erica reared back to attack again, Derek saw an opening and took it. Brining his knee up to meet her stomach, he ignored the crack of her ribs as he rolled out from between the two Betas to come up behind Boyd. When the Beta rose up to meet him with a roar, he headbutted him hard enough to get out of his strong grip. He sent one last punch to the Beta's head to keep him down before he turned his attention to Erica.  


****

The female werewolf was on the ground, her legs pushing her away from him as he stalked towards her. Grabbing roughly at the wrist with the chain still wrapped around it, he held it to the pole as he worked on locking her up when Boyd ran out the door.  


****

He turned around to go after him but stopped short when the retreating Beta was pushed back. Isaac shoved his packmate to the chairs where Vanessa had kicked up her feet earlier and growled at him to stay, his claws digging into Boyd's chest to further drive in his will.

****

Erica took advantage of her Alpha's shock to slash at his exposed back, causing him to arch in pain. Gritting his teeth at once again showing weakness to the Beta, he turned around and delivered a final punch to knock her out once and for all before turning back to Isaac and Boyd.  


****

He was afraid for a moment that the moon had drove them to attack each other until Isaac lifted his head, his golden eyes meeting his blue ones with a look of lucidity that made Derek lean back in surprise. Isaac nodded in understanding and Derek felt something foreign warm his chest.  


****

Then he figured it out. It was pride.  


****

Derek Hale was bleeding from the deep wounds to his ribs, chests and back, tired as hell from having to hold back two Betas by himself from killing him and everyone else in Beacon Hills but he managed to give his Beta a nod back.  


****

-  


****

#### 7 PM

****

When they managed to chain Erica and Boyd back up for the night, Isaac let Derek do the same for him, the Alpha leading him back to the back of the cart. He obediently held his arms up to make it easier for Derek to chain him up against the railings. He didn't use the belt and Isaac was grateful for that. It made him feel less trapped, less anxious. Like he had more freedom to move about, especially when a part of him itched to run out of there and not long back.  


****

"I think you'll be okay now," Derek told him as he locked the chains together, "It looks like I was right about Vanessa, about her being your Anchor. And your - "  


****

"Mate," Isaac murmured quietly, his golden gaze still fixed on the same spot it had been fixed on five minutes, "She's the reason I got back control. The _only_ reason. If they - if _we_ had gotten out, she would be in danger."  


****

Derek stared at him for a moment, "Vanessa will never be in danger. Not from you."  


****

The Beta smiled faintly at that and Derek found his eyes softening slightly. He also found himself saying, "You did good tonight. You might have a mate but the full moon still has a strong influence over you. Even those who find a mate and Anchor struggle with it at first. Still struggle with it, even after being with them for years."  


****

Isaac remained silent, still staring at the spot and Derek sighed.  


****

"Without you, Boyd and Erica would have probably killed me. Then they would have gotten free and killed others," Derek began in a low voice, staring at the ground before he found the courage to raise his eyes to Isaac's face and said earnestly, "You did good, Isaac."  


****

_I'm proud of you, Isaac._  


****

The Beta didn't reply. He didn't give any inclination that he heard him, or the silent words that accompanied it. Derek nodded to himself. It was to be expected. The mental toll it took on a werewolf to resist the pull of the full moon long enough to gain control, especially a new Beta, was heavy and what Isaac needed now was rest. The chains would hold now that Isaac had something to keep him there. Now that he had something to anchor him there.

****

That's how Derek found himself leaning against the wall outside the cart, his body burning from the multiple bleeding wounds Boyd and Erica inflicted upon him as he thought to himself with an unfamiliar sense of relief.  


****

_Thank God for Vanessa O'Connor._  


****

The sound of footsteps drew his attention and his senses went on high alert as he spun around, ready to attack. The sight of Lydia Martin stopped him short and his eyes narrowed.  


****

_What the fuck is Lydia fucking Martin doing in my Den?_  


****

She had this strange look in her eye, too. Like she was just as confused as he was on why she was here, on how she was here. The last thing he thought before she blew a pile of purple power in his face was that he should have killed her when he had a chance.

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few questions I would like to ask:  
> \- What was your favorite part of the chapter?  
> \- What was your least favorite part of the chapter?  
> \- What did you find interesting about the chapter?  
> \- Who's perspective did you like reading from the most and who's did you find most interesting?  
> \- What did you think about the change in Isaac's attitude in this chapter, especially in Vanessa's halluncination? Love it? Hate it? Found it interesting?  
> \- What did you think about the conflict between Vanessa and Allison at the end? What do you think will happen to their friendship because of it?  
> \- What are your expectations for next chapter? What do you think will happen?  
> \- What are you most looking forward to seeing next chapter?  
> \- Is there anything from this chapter that you would like further explored in future chapters? Anything you would like to see again?  
> Please leave a comment down below because I am super curious to find out what you all thought!


	37. Werewolves. Hunters. Kanimas, OH MY!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previous on _Fight for Me_  
>  -  
>  _Tonight was the night._  
>  -  
>  _“I was just about to call you,” the Alpha answered quietly, presumably catching onto the running water in the background, “How’s he doing?”_  
>  _“He told me he hadn’t slept all night, Derek, and now he’s staring up at the ceiling like it’s the one thing he can stand to look at! So, you tell me!”_  
>  -  
>  _She soon found out, however, that without food and without *special* attention from her, Isaac quickly fell back into his third full moon emotion. A little trait she liked to call Sarcastic Jackass._  
>  -  
>  _“Vanessa,” he growled lowly, starting to yank at the chains above his head fiercely, “I’m gonna get out of these and you’ll be sorry.”_  
>  -  
>  _"Sorry I was late" - “Run out of punch yet?”_  
>  _“There’s enough to go around,” Lydia replied, mischief flashing in her green eyes as she handed Vanessa a glass, “Here, help yourself.”_  
>  -  
>  _“He was mine! He was MINE and you fucking SHOT him! YOU FUCKING SHOT ISAAC!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you for your delightful comments last chapter and for answering my questions! As you guys must know, there is so much shit that goes down on this Full Moon so the events of the night of the Full Moon will be extending four chapters, including this chapter and the previous chapter. Please let me know what guys thought, what you liked, what you found interesting, what you want to see more of and what you're hoping to see in the next chapter! Just a reminder that all comments, criticism, suggestions and feedback are not only welcomed but deeply appreciated! Please feel free to leave a comment any time or even to ask questions. My inbox is open for all ;)  
> Please remember to be kind though and be safe x  
> Love you guys and thank you for inspiring me!

“Are you okay?” Allison finally got the courage to ask after the first five minutes they spent in tense silence. 

After her head cleared and came to the realization that what she saw wasn’t real, that it was just a hallucination, she had quickly staggered to her feet to help the boys wrestle Vanessa into the bathroom, taking the slaps and jabs to her chest with a sad, haunted look on her face while Stiles managed to put the girl under. When he pulled the brunette back up, she was gasping like all the air in the world was going to disappear, eyes raw from the crying and from opening them underneath the water. Vanessa had gripped the white, marble bathtub, knuckles white as she finally got a grip on the world around her. 

And on the lack of the dead body in the bathtub. _**Isaac’s**_ dead body. 

Whatever had happened to them tonight, it was clear that her and Vanessa were the only ones that had shared the vision - the horrible, nightmare of an illusion. Their deepest, darkest fears became one and it was terrifying to know that the other girl knew what crept under her skin in the darkness of her doubts. In the darkness of the monster that she was capable of becoming. 

Allison would never let herself get to that point but she had to let a piece of that monster show if she was to honor her mother’s memory. If she was to be as strong as she once was. If she was to fight for the cause her mother had died for. 

A small part of her felt regret that Vanessa was caught up in all of this, especially as she watched the brunette from across the hallway, her arms wrapped around her drenched torso like they could protect her from the horrors that lingered after what she saw. What they _both_ saw. 

“Ness? Are you – “ 

“I’m _fine_.” 

Although the words were firm, the voice behind them was an empty, hollow thing, hoarse from screaming at the top of her lungs even as her head went under. It burned her throat to even try to speak but she knew that if she didn’t say anything, it would only worry Allison more. Not that she really cared what worried anyone at that moment. She just wanted them to stop talking to her. 

She didn’t want to talk about the things she saw or the fact that the sound of Isaac’s body collapsing into the tub with a dead thud would haunt her dreams for nights to come. She didn’t want to talk about how she might never be able to look at him without seeing flashes of the look in his eyes as the life left them. She didn’t want to talk about how a little piece of her died inside to see her best friend standing in the door way, crossbow in hand and realize that _she_ was the cause, _she_ was the one who shot him. 

She knew deep down that it wasn’t real. _Of course_ , she knew it wasn’t fucking real! Derek wouldn’t be that stupid to let Isaac wander off by himself, Isaac wouldn’t have said that stuff and she wouldn’t have let him kiss her during the full moon because he wouldn’t be able to properly consent – 

The point is, the thing that felt real, the thing that she thought could _become_ real someday was the look in Allison’s eyes as she turned the crossbow onto her. They held no remorse, no sympathy, no pity. Only a dark, cold, calculating look that was terrifyingly familiar to her, especially when she realized why. 

They were her grandfather’s eyes. 

She had heard Allison cry out afterwards, that she was sorry, that she didn’t mean it. That it wasn’t her. Vanessa knew that. It was a vision, it wasn’t real. _Of course_ , it wasn’t her. 

But it could be. 

That was why she had caved into herself, to put as much space as she could between herself and the girl she claimed to be one of her best friends. 

“Ness, I – “ 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” 

Vanessa kept her voice quiet but firm. She had no choice. She feared her vocal cords would snap if she spoke any louder, any harsher. But God, did she **want** to. She wanted to scream, to cry, to fall at the girl’s knees and ask why, if it wasn’t real, _**why**_ the hell did they see the same thing? Why would their fears coincide if it wasn’t true, if it didn’t kept a small part of them awake at night? 

****

“I know,” Allison sighed softly, eyes downcast as she whispered, “I’m sorry.” 

****

“I know.” 

****

It was all she could say. It was all Allison expected her to say. 

****

They fell back into that same somber silence, trying to process what happened to them. 

****

Vanessa wondered where Stiles and Scott went and remembered that Lydia handed out punch to pretty much everyone at the party, some kids even going back to her for seconds. _Of course_ , the boys would be trying to save the day, getting the strength to get back on their feet in order to stop people from suffering through their own personal hell. She envied them for that, that ability to just get back up after you had been knocked down in one of the worse ways possible. 

****

She wanted to have that strength, that will to push past her own feelings and to put others before herself but she already demonstrated how well that went for her in the past. When she refrained from taking revenge on Derek for betraying Scott and instead made a deal. When she used that deal to get her boyfriend out of his abusive household, hiding behind the excuse by offering the same chance to Erica and Boyd. Putting all their lives in danger because of it. 

****

She was selfish and that selfishness could get them all killed. Could get _Isaac_ killed. 

****

That was her worst fear. That was what she was shown tonight. 

****

Allison being the one to pull the trigger was just another realization that things had changed so drastically between them that sometime after Victoria's funeral, Vanessa realized that her best friend was more of a threat to her and to the pack then she wanted to admit. 

****

\- 

****

“Hey, I can’t find her but anyone who drank that crap, they’re _freaking_ out!” Stiles said as he pushed against Scott’s shoulder, their heads whipping around at the crowd of teenagers slowly but surely loosing their minds. 

****

There were kids on the brick floor, staring up at the sky and counting the stars out loud. A group of kids had started jumping into the pool with their clothes on, their whoops and slurred cheers echoing around the patio. Three guys approached the pool, practically dragging a fourth by his arms and legs and it was the boy’s terrified shrieks that caught Stiles’ attention. 

****

**“I can’t swim, _I can’t swim_ , **I CAN’T SWIM!** ” **

****

Stiles felt his world shift as he and Scott watched in shock as Matt Daehler was thrown into the pool. 

****

Five seconds later, Jackson was shoving through the crowd of laughing teenagers with a snarl before he knelt to the ground, reaching into the water and pulling Matt up onto the pavement with just one hand. Stiles could see the utter terror in Matt’s eyes as he gasped out, pressing his palms against the ground to steady him as he got to wobbly feet, drenched from head to toe. Matt blinked back the tears welling up in his eyes and sneered at the teenagers who had stopped in their craze to stare at him bewilderment. 

****

Seeing Jackson and Matt standing side by side as they faced them made it real. If they hadn’t known Matt was Jackson’s master before, this would have confirmed it and Stiles was reminded of his conversation with Isaac the day before when the boy had told him about his dreams. 

****

His dreams of **drowning**. 

****

“What’re you looking at?” Matt shouted, his voice rough and breaking at the edges before he moved forward. The boy paused in his tracks when he noticed Scott and Stiles on the fringes of the crowd but continued on without breaking Scott’s stare, his nose curling up in disgust as he shoved past him to head inside. 

****

A moment of silence passed where nobody said anything. That’s when they heard the sirens in the distance. 

****

“Cops are here!” 

****

“Parties over!” 

****

Everyone began rushing out, most with their shoes in their hands and the rest dripping wet from their swim in the pool. Scott and Stiles shared a look before they ran inside to get the girls, stopping short when they noticed it was only Vanessa sitting down in the hall with her head buried in her hands. 

****

“Ness? Ness, where did Allison go?” Scott asked with a frown, head whipping around for any sign of where the dark haired girl had run off to. 

****

Vanessa whipped her head up and they flinched back at the fresh tear marks down her cheeks. She blinked up at them in confusion before shaking her head, “I didn’t hear her leave.” 

****

“It doesn’t matter. Allison can take care of herself,” Stiles reminded them as he made his way to Vanessa’s side, slipping an arm around her waist to help her up off of the floor, “We need to go. Cops were called. If Sarah sees you like this she won’t be happy. Then she’ll tell my Dad and he _definently_ won’t be happy. _Then_ \- ” 

****

“We get it. Let’s just get out of here,” Scott joined him on Vanessa’s other side and together, they managed to sneak out the side gate to the driveway, moving towards the bushes so that they remained mostly in the cover of darkness before they made it to the street. Everybody was screaming now as they ran to their cars, some even making a sprint down the street. Blue and red lights flashed at them as they headed for Stiles' jeep when Scott jerked to a sudden stop. 

****

His two best friends glanced at him in confusion, their eyes wide with urgency before they followed where he was looking. What they saw made their hearts stop in their chest. 

****

Standing in the middle of the street, still dripping wet from being thrown into the pool, was Matt. At his feet, with it’s tail curled protectively around his legs, was the kanima. By the looks on their faces, they were both pissed and to make matters worse, it seemed like a lot of that anger was directed at them. 

****

Their jaws dropped in horror as Matt’s lips twitched in fury but a group of people ran past and he disappeared from sight, no sign of him or the kanima anywhere as they spun around the street. 

****

“Please tell me that was a hallucination,” Stiles whispered from his far left, his voice slightly breathless from fear. 

****

“If it was, you’re the second person I’ve shared one with tonight.” 

****

“It wasn’t a hallucination. We saw Matt,” Scott muttered with a shake of his head, “The kanima was with him.” 

****

\- 

****

That’s how they ended up at Stiles’ house half an hour later, the boys immediately making their way to his desk to pull out all the evidence they had gathered against him while Vanessa headed straight for the bathroom, wanting to get out of her wet clothes and to get into something that didn’t reek of sweat, fear and the sickening sweet scent of Lydia’s poisonous fruit punch. 

****

She climbed out of the shower when she heard Noah’s voice and knew that if they were going to convince him to hear them out, she needed to be there as the voice of reason. The boys were notorious for being reckless, for the idiotic and, quite frankly, ridiculous shit they came up with. Noah knew that if Scott and Stiles were the reckless, idiots, then she was the sensible one. 

****

_Not tonight, Chief, not tonight._

****

When she managed to pull on the sweatshirt and pants Stiles had thrown at her when they had first walked into his room, she inched the door open subtly, so as not to interrupt the conversation. Noah, it seemed, was looking for any chance to avoid listening to Stiles’ and looked up in surprise at seeing her standing there in the doorway. 

****

“Vanessa? I didn’t know you were here. Are you staying over tonight?” 

****

“She’s here for the same reason we are, Dad,” Stiles cut in impatiently, waving a hand to draw his father’s attention back to him before pointing at the yearbook and the portrait of Matt that had two big, red circles around it. 

****

Noah rolled his eyes before tapping the book with his brow raised, “So, this kid’s the _real_ killer?” 

****

“Yeah,” Stiles replied, rubbing at his jaw in contemplation on what to do next. 

****

“No.” 

****

Stiles did a double take of his father before he nodded, repeating firmly, “ _Yes!_ ” 

****

“No.” 

****

Noah crossed his arms over his chest as he stared his son down. Stiles lunged out of his chair and with his hands, explained his reasoning with an almost pleading expression. 

****

“Dad, _come on_! Everybody knows that the police look for ways to connect victims in a murder, okay? So, all they have to do is look through the transcripts and figure out which class they all had in common.” 

****

“Yeah, except for the fact that the rave promoter Kara wasn’t in Harris’ class.” 

****

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry,” Stiles muttered sarcastically before fixing his father with a knowing look, “Then I guess they dropped the charges against him?” 

****

Noah paused, seemingly lost for words before he stuttered out, “No, you know what, they’re not dropping the charges – but that doesn’t prove anything!” 

****

Stiles gaped at him in disbelief, his jaw snapping shut a moment later as if to restrain himself from screaming out in frustration. Noah rolled his eyes over to the two teenagers waiting behind his son, ignoring how Stiles' groaned at the fact he couldn’t just take him for his word. 

****

“Guys, do you believe this?” 

****

“It’s really hard to explain how we know this, but you just gotta trust us - ", Scott responded but was cut off by Vanessa, who pushed her way in front of the two boys to lift up the year book from 2006. 

****

“ _Actually_ , it’s really not that hard to explain,” Vanessa rolled her eyes, flipping the book open to the page with the swim team on it, “You thought that because Kara wasn’t in any of Harris’ classes, she was an anomaly. Someone he killed to throw you off his scent. What if, you were looking at classes the victims had in common instead of _clubs_.” 

****

Pointing out the victims, Vanessa looked up at her godfather with a grim set to her lips as she explained, “ _That’s_ how Mr. Lahey fits into this. He coached the swim team. Everyone Matt has killed is on the swim team, including Kara Simmons.” 

****

“Okay, so maybe it wasn’t _that_ hard to explain….” Stiles mumbled underneath his breathe before adding, “Matt also took Harris’ car, okay? He knew that if a cop found tire tracks at one of the murders, and that enough of the victim’s were in Harris’ class, that they’d arrest him!” 

****

“It still doesn’t explain why he would do this. Why would this Matt kid kill a bunch of people from the 2006 Swim Team?” 

****

The three of them were silent for a moment. Both Scott and Vanessa hadn’t been able to figure that one out, too busy trying to actually stop Matt from murdering anyone else. Stiles, on the other hand, remembered Isaac and his dreams. The same Isaac who’s brother and father were on the swim team, who Matt seemed to have a problem with. The same Matt who couldn’t swim when he was thrown into the pool at Lydia’s, who came out with fear that rivalled the fear Vanessa and Allison felt when him and Scott snapped them out of their hallucinations. 

****

Fear of their deepest, darkest fears. 

****

Matt’s fear was drowning and the dots connected in his mind. 

****

“He drowned.” 

****

All three of them turned to look at Stiles with different expressions of incredulity. 

****

“ _What?_ ” 

****

“Matt, he – he drowned,” Stiles began with wide eyes as he gestured to Vanessa, “Isaac – Isaac said that in his nightmares, he saw his brother throw someone into the pool. Then he himself was drowning. He said he heard his father shouting and his brother laughing. What if Camden threw him into the pool but because he couldn’t swim, he drowned. What if – oh my god, it makes sense now!” 

****

“Really? Because I still have no clue what you’re going on about?!” Noah threw his hands up in frustration as Stiles spun around to explain to his friends in a hushed whisper. 

****

“Guys, the night of the Rave, me, Isaac and Erica asked him why he killed the people he killed. We were looking for murderers, remember? He said that _they_ killed him. What if he meant that the swim team did nothing to help when he drowned, that _they_ were the reason he died?” 

****

Vanessa swallowed hard as she followed Stiles’ train of thought, lips wobbling as she spoke up, “Isaac – Isaac told me that – that night, the night he dreamed about, his father went out with his mother. He said he found it strange that he heard his father shouting when she was still alive. What if – what if his father came home and found Matt. Performed CPR and brought him back and – “ 

****

Scott’s eyes widened as he finished the thought, “He told Matt to keep quiet about it. They were the swim team, they won every competition. If everyone found out they nearly killed a boy, if they found out Mr. Lahey supplied alcohol to minors, they wouldn’t be able to compete anyone. Mr. Lahey would lose his job.” 

****

“ _Oh my god_ ,” Vanessa shook her head with her hand clasped over her mouth, “We figured it out.” 

****

Stiles spun around to his father with a look of urgency that made the old man rear back and pleaded with him, “Dad, you _can’t_ deny there is a connection!” 

****

“Please, Chief, you have to trust us.” 

****

“It’s Matt. We know it.” 

****

“Okay, okay!” Noah held up his hands for them to stop talking, waiting a moment for them to quieten down before he asked, “What do you want me to do? I don’t have the authority to go down there and demand they bring him in. Not without real proof. Assumptions won’t hold up in court, let alone in a police investigation.” 

****

“Well, there’s gotta be something at the station! Evidence from the murders. Something in there could lead back to Matt.” 

****

“How do you suppose we _get_ to this evidence, Stiles? I don’t have the authority – “ 

****

“Trust me, they’ll listen to you – “ 

****

“Trust _you_?” the man questioned, his tone dubious at best. 

****

Stiles’ shoulders sank as he sighed, his fingers twitching before he jerked a thumb back at the boy behind him. 

****

“Trust – Trust Scott?” 

****

Noah’s brows raised higher and Vanessa rolled her eyes. 

****

“You can trust me, Chief.” 

****

The older man lifted his finger to point to the girl, his eyes sliding to his son as he murmured, “Vanessa, Vanessa I trust.” 

****

Stiles shook his head with a roll of his eyes. 

****

“Yeah, I really can’t blame you.” 

****

\- 

****

An hour later, they were walking into the station, Noah taking the lead. Vanessa sighed in relief when they finally made it inside, feeling exposed in the oversized sweatshirt and sweatpants that hung a bit too low on her waist and almost engulfed her feet. The officer at the desk raised a brow at the lot of them before drawling to Noah in disbelief, “It’s two in the morning!” 

****

“ _Believe me_ , I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t extremely important.” 

****

Behind him, the three teenagers were muttering quietly, Vanessa sidling up beside the two boys with her brow raised as she mentioned, “Look, the evidence that we have so far is circumstantial at best. We barely have enough to bring Matt in on suspicion.” 

****

Scott frowned at this and started with wide eyes, “I thought you said – “ 

****

“No, Nessie’s right. Our motivation relies on Isaac’s dreams and a confrontation between one suspect of a murder charge and the previous suspect of a murder charge. Hell, they might even argue that Isaac was trying to push suspicion off himself. No, we need some **real** evidence.” 

****

“How do we do that?” 

****

Stiles thought about it for a moment before answering his friend, “We need to look at the hospital stuff first, okay?” 

****

“Why the hospital stuff?” 

****

“Because all the murders were committed by Jackson, except for one, you remember?” 

****

“The pregnant girl.” 

****

“Jessica,” Vanessa whispered to them, her eyes widening as she realized where Stiles was going with it, “Since Matt had to kill her himself, someone from the hospital could have seen him.” 

****

Scott nodded in agreement before turning back to watch as the officer at the front desk nodded reluctantly to Noah, the older man inclining his head gratefully to her before turning to gesture at the three teenagers. 

****

“Kids.” 

****

They followed him without question, sending nervous smiles at the officer who rolled her eyes at them before sitting back down in her office. Noah walked down the hall and she could see his shoulders roll back. She watched as her godfather unconsciously transformed into the Sheriff right before her eyes and smiled slightly. If they caught Matt, if they managed to solve these murders, Noah could be reinstated. It just made her that much more determined to catch the little bastard. 

****

Noah headed silently into his old office, noting how they hadn’t had the chance to find a replacement since the department had their hands full with the murders and investigating the circumstances of Victoria Argent’s death, animal attack cutting it a bit to close to foul play. 

****

Vanessa reminded herself to look into that later on. Now that she had thought about it, Victoria’s death was…. _ **wrong**_. Everything about it, from her disappearing for the entire weekend to being found mauled to death in the forest just – it felt _too_ familiar. She had done this before, back when Peter was still alive. Even going back to _before_ Peter. Beacon Hills always had a problem with animal attacks. 

****

She had learnt since then that animal attack was just the go to cover up for the things that went bump in the night. She liked to think she knew all of those things, some more intimately then others. 

****

Assigning animal attack to Victoria’s cause of death didn’t sit right with her. 

****

Before she could dwell on it further, the sound of Noah’s hand slamming against the table in frustration snapped her out of her thoughts. She found him already seated at his desk, Stiles and Scott gathered around him as they all stared at the computer screen that played what looked like security footage from the hospital. 

****

“I don’t know guys, I mean, look at this,” Noah frowned as he waved his hand at the screen, “There was a six car pileup that night, the hospital was jammed.” 

****

Stiles leaned over his father shoulder and gestured impatiently for him to continue, “Alright, just keep going. Look, he had to have passed one of the cameras on that floor to get to Jessica, okay?He’s gotta be on the footage somewhere." 

****

Scott lunged forward all of a sudden, holding his hand up, “Hold up, stop! Did – did you see that?! Scroll back.” 

****

Stiles and Vanessa leaned forward as Noah turned the footage back and she heard the gasp leave her throat as he stopped and let it play. Broad shoulders rolled menacingly under that familiar, cheap leather jacket as he walked down the hall, the malicious intent practically vibrating off of him as he went. 

****

_Matt Daehler, we have you now, you little bastard!_

****

“That’s Matt!” Stiles confirmed to his dad. 

****

“All I see is the back of someone’s head,” Noah pointed out and Vanessa rolled her eyes. 

****

“ _Matt’s_ head, yeah,” Stiles nodded, his eyes flaring up, “I sit behind him in History. He has a very distinct cranium - it’s weird.” 

****

“ _Are you crazy?!_ ” 

****

“He might be crazy, Chief, but he's right,” Vanessa smiled faintly before she pushed herself down to Noah’s eye level, pointing at Matt on the footage, “Look at his jacket, how many people do you know wear black leather jackets - with a _hoodie_ underneath them?” 

****

“I thought all you kids did that!” 

****

“Only kids with psychotic tendencies!” Stiles cried out. 

****

Scott jumped in before the father and son could argue more, “Okay, can we scroll forward? There’s gotta be a shot of him coming at one of the cameras!” 

****

Noah sighed once more before tapping one of the keys to let the video play but paused it once more as the footage jumped to another camera, Stiles leaning forward quickly to point out, “Look, see, there he is again!” 

****

“You mean there’s the _back of his head_ again!” 

****

“Okay, but look, he’s talking to someone.” 

****

“Guys, that’s not _just_ any someone,” Vanessa murmured quietly, her stomach sinking at the realization. 

****

Scott stepped back as he whispered, “He’s talking to my mom.” 

****

Stiles and Vanessa exchanged a horrified look before they turned to watch as Scott yanked out his phone, stumbling with the number before he put the call on speaker phone. 

****

_“Scott? What are you doing up so late?”_ Melissa McCall’s voice groaned from the other side. 

****

“Mom, I need to ask you something really important. I need to tell me if you remember talking to someone on the night the pregnant girl died?" 

****

_“Scott, do you know how many people I have to deal with in a day?"_

****

“This one’s sixteen. He’s got dark hair, looks like a normal teenager.” 

****

“He looks **_evil_** ,” Stiles butted in before he was yanked back by his father, who sent him a dry look. 

****

_“Scott, I already talked to the police about this.”_

****

“Okay, Mom, this important so I’m going to take a picture and send it to you.” 

They all waited a moment as Scott took a picture of the yearbook photo and sent it to Melissa. 

“Did you get it?” Stiles asked eagerly. 

****

_“Yeah,”_ Melissa replied and they all leaned forward, eagerly waiting to hear what she had to say. 

****

“Do you recognize him? Do you remember him?” 

****

_“Yeah, I did. I mean, I remember I stopped him because he was tracking mud down the hall,”_ they all reared back at that, the three teenagers sending each other knowing looks before Melissa asked, _“Scott, what’s going on?”_

****

“It’s – it’s nothing, Mom,” Scott stuttered out unconvincingly, earning twin looks of disbelief from his best friends and even a raised eyebrow from Noah as he tried to end the call as quickly as possible before she asked anymore questions, “I’ll explain later, I’ve gotta go.” 

****

As soon as the call ended, Noah snapped up the files that Scott had been leaning on and opened it up, mumbling to himself, “We’ve got shoe prints alongside the tire tracks at the trailer site.” 

****

“And if they match, that puts Matt at the scene of three murders,” Stiles said, nodding to Scott and Vanessa, “The trailer, the hospital and the Rave.” 

****

“Actually, four,” Noah corrected as he pulled out a piece of paper from the file, “A credit card receipt for an oil change was signed by Matt at the garage where the mechanic was killed.” 

****

“When?” Vanessa asked, even though a part of her knew the answer already. 

****

Noah’s eyes flickered from her to Stiles before nodding at his son, “A couple hours be you got there.” 

****

Stiles shook his head with a certainty that made Vanessa shake with anticipation as he said, “Alright, Dad, if one’s an incident, two’s a coincidence and three’s a pattern, what’s four?” 

****

The older man’s lips pulled up in a smile as he told the kids, “Four’s enough for a warrant.” 

****

Stiles did an air punch behind his father, spinning around to slap his palm against Vanessa’s waiting one, both teenagers grinning madly while Noah turned Scott and told him, “Call your mom back. See how quick she can get here. If I can get an official I.D, I can get a search warrant.” 

****

Turning to where his son and goddaughter had quickly straightened up with serious faces, Noah pointed out the door, “Stiles, go to the front desk. Tell them to let Scott’s mom in when she get’s here.” 

****

“On it!” 

****

As Stiles ran out the door, Noah turned to the girl who had been standing beside him and gestured to her phone, “Where’s Sarah tonight?" 

****

“Probably at home.” 

****

“Call her. Tell her to get to the station. We’re gonna need her help.” 

****

There was a familiar glint in his eyes, the one she used to beam at when she was younger because it always meant that her godfather had a lead, that the bad guys would be caught in no time. The one that said that he wasn’t going to give up until the bad guy was behind bars and people were safe again. 

****

With the grin of a child, she nodded at him before reaching into her pocket, flipping it open and dialing her mother, rolling on her heels as she waited for her to answer. 

****

_“O’Connor. What’s up?”_

****

“Mom? Where are you?” 

****

_“Ness? Where am I? Good question. I’m a home - where you should be – “_

****

“Mom. I need you to get to the station.” 

****

_“What?! Why? What’s going on?”_ Sarah’s voice was laced with an edge and Vanessa could hear Lisa’s voice in the background asking, _“Babe? What’s wrong?”_

****

“Mom – I need you to listen to me. We know who’s behind the serial killings.” 

****

_“What – how – “_

****

“Mom, I don’t have time to explain. Just get down here.” 

****

With that, Vanessa abruptly hung up with a wince as she cut off Sarah’s yell for her to wait. Sighing heavily, she turned around with a sheepish grin on her face. 

****

“Alright, Sarah should be here in ten – fifteen minutes.” 

****

Scott nodded in agreement as he slipped his phone into his pocket, “My mom’s on her way.” 

****

Noah opened his mouth to reply when his gaze drifted over his shoulder to the hallway behind him and Vanessa could say with full confidence that the look in his eyes made her want to run away as fast as she could. She knew, before she even turned around, what he was looking at. _Who_ he was looking at. 

****

Her and Scott spun on their heels, already in defensive positions as Stiles was pushed into the room, a black pistol on his back and Matt’s fingers hovering over the trigger. Her best friend joined her and Scott and she moved to inspect him for any wounds before turning back to the boy standing with his gun on them. 

****

Matt had changed his clothes since the party, his hoodie and leather jacket long gone. But he still had the same look in his eye as he did outside Lydia’s house, practically shaking in rage. His eyes were glassy as he considered them all with a smugness that made her want to punch him, his lips twitching in a smile as if he couldn’t believe he did it. Like a kid winning the race he thought he would come last in. 

****

It was a weird fucking look that’s for sure, one that had her godfather standing up straight and tall, his hands raised in the air to show he wasn’t carrying as he shifted from behind the desk, “Matt? It’s Matt, right? Matt, whatever’s going on I can guarantee there’s a solution that doesn’t involve a gun.” 

****

“You know, it’s funny you say that because I don’t think you’re aware of just how _right_ you are,” Matt breathed out, his eye rolling as if he predicted this. 

****

After all, this was the former Sheriff he was talking to. He was probably trained in all sorts of ways, including how to negotiate in a hostage situation. With three teenagers, one of them being his own son, in the proximity of the shiny, sleek gun in Matt’s hand, it was _definently_ a hostage situation. Vanessa frowned at the way he gripped the gun in his hands, readjusting every five seconds as if he might drop it. His tone was full of hurt, of barely restrained anger but also of something else. 

****

Something akin to relief crept into his voice and it was then that she processed his words. 

****

_"There’s a solution that doesn’t involve a gun."_

****

_"I don’t think you’re aware of just how right you are."_

****

Her stomach dropped at the realization of just how psychotic Matt Daehler was and she shot Stiles and Scott a scared look as they straightened up, shooting hot glares at him. Scott cocked his head and she knew he was listening out for anyone else who might be in the station while Stiles’ hand moved to his back pocket while Noah kept talking. 

****

“I know you don’t wanna hurt people – “ 

****

“ _Actually_ – I wanna hurt _a lot_ of people. You guys weren’t on my list – well, no she was,” Matt smiled at Vanessa, who narrowed her eyes warily at the gun he used to point at her, “She wasn’t originally but well, that’s what happens when you don’t mind your own fucking business, _isn’t that right_ , **Ness**?” 

****

“Don’t call her that – “ Scott started, shifting so he moved in front of her, his jaw clenched tight as Matt moved the gun to him as he continued on with his little rant. 

****

“But I can be persuaded. One of the ways is for you to do something stupid like _that_ and another is to try dialing somebody on your cellphone, like Stilinski is doing,” Matt hissed, eyes shifted down to the hand that appeared at Stiles side, his eyes rolling to stare up at the ceiling in frustration as the boy with the gun smirked knowingly, “That could get someone hurt. Actually, that could get _everyone_ hurt. Although – “ 

****

Matt turned his gaze on Vanessa, his lips twitching as she shifted uneasily at his attention, “I wouldn’t mind that. What’s it gonna be, Vanessa? You going to piss me off again? You gonna run that mouth of yours while I have a gun on you?” 

****

Oh, she had words. She had words for days that she wanted to scream at this psycho but even she knew that the last thing you should do in a situation like this was piss off the person holding the gun. It didn’t seem to matter either way, she knew that her mere presence pissed him off. She could tell from the way his nostrils flared when she didn’t blink, didn’t speak, just kept staring at him like she had seen better. Which, she had. God, this guy was finger food to the people she had faced. Peter Hale would have ate him in one bite and have plenty of room to devour the entirety of Beacon Hills. 

****

So, yeah, Matt Daehler was nothing special. He seemed to realize that because his eyes flared with anger as he pointed his gun at the door and screamed, “Leave your phones on the desk and walk out the door. **NOW!**

********

****

She fought back the urge to flinch and she saw how it set him off. Noah beckoned at the three of them to move, his eyes never leaving Matt’s as he urged them quietly, “Come on.” 

****

****

****

Rolling her eyes, she pulled out her phone and threw it on the desk, followed by Stiles’ and Scott’s. Matt jutted his chin at the door, nodding at Noah to go first. Then Scott. Then Stiles. When she moved to follow, she heard his footsteps fasten behind her and felt his clammy hand wrap around the back of her neck, forcing her forward roughly. She saw Scott turn around at the sound of her gasp before Stiles stopped him and she gave him a grateful smile, albeit it wobbled as Matt whispered harshly in her ear. 

****

****

****

“You know, I’m disappointed, Nessa. You talk a big game yet in reality, you’re really just a scared, little girl. You walk around school thinking you’re all that when really, you’re barely a blimp on the radar. You’re not even that good looking. Truthfully, I don’t see why Lahey is really all that into you. Are you sure he doesn’t just want you for a quick lay? The first time is like a test drive. You quickly move on to the good stuff after you had the _basics_.” 

****

****

****

She couldn’t resist it. She knew he was projecting his own insecurities onto her. Knew that he was trying to get under her skin by manipulating her into doing something, _anything_ , to piss him off. But with the several openings he gave her – well, it was too tempting. 

****

****

****

Besides, she was anything _but_ basic. 

****

****

****

“Like you would know.” 

****

****

****

She was spun around faster than she could blink but she couldn’t help the smirk that grew on her face. 

****

****

****

_Too fucking easy._

****

****

****

That was until she noticed she was looking down the barrel of a gun. 

****

****

****

One that was pressed directly against her forehead. 

****

****

****

“Say that again.” 

****

****

****

\- 

****

****

****

On the other side of town, in an abandoned cart in a rundown railway station, a Beta straightened in his chains as his blood froze in his veins, a cold kind of terror gripping his heart that had his golden eyes widening as they searched for who or what might inspire such fear. 

His packmates were drained of their strength, the full moon’s influence lessening as the late hours of the night transitioned into the early hours of the morning. They didn’t possess the strength to pose the kind of threat that would make the hairs on his body stand at attention. 

No, this was something else. This fear – it wasn’t _his_. He couldn’t claim this fear for there was nothing here that would scare him like that. Deep down, he knew who it belonged to and it made him writhe against the chains that Derek had bound around his wrists, pulling at where they were locked to the wall behind him. 

When they didn’t budge, he let out a roar of frustration before trying again, putting all the strength he could muster into getting free. He couldn’t be here. Not with fear like that running up his spine like spiders. He had to go, to get out. To get to **her**. 

“Isaac!” Derek’s voice called out, his heavy footsteps reverberating through the Den and causing the Betas in the cart to stir, “Isaac!” 

“ **Derek! You _need_ to get me out of here!**” he yelled at his Alpha, struggling against the chains, “ **Something’s wrong. Something’s wrong with Vanessa!** ” 

“ _What?_ ” the man questioned as he stepped into the cart, followed closely by Dr. Deaton. The veterinarian’s presence surprised him, but Isaac didn’t have time to waste figuring out why Derek had let this strange man into their Den, not when his breath got caught up in his lungs like he was robbed of air. 

“Isaac? _Isaac!_ What’s going on? What’s wrong with Vanessa?!” Derek yelled, rushing to hold him up as his knees gave way beneath him. 

“He can feel what she feels,” Deaton explained grimly, walking forward without hesitation, “They’re Mates.” 

“We knew that already,” the werewolf beside him snapped but Deaton was unfazed as he continued to inspect Isaac, “What does that mean for _them_?” 

“It means that whatever is happening to her, whatever she is feeling, _he_ can feel it too. The full moon must have strengthened the bond but right now, he needs to go to her - otherwise he’ll break every bone in his body to get out of those chains.” 

“He _can’t_. He barely has control - ” 

“He does when it comes to her life,” Deaton insisted confidently. 

“ **Derek** ,” Isaac growled, his eyes flashing at his Alpha, “ **I know where she is. Let me go.** ” 

The Alpha stared at his Beta for a long moment. He knew that he was too weak to face whatever danger Vanessa and her friends had gotten themselves into this time – especially if that danger involved Gerard as Deaton claimed. 

“Derek, you will need your Beta if you are to continue fighting tonight,” Deaton advised him quietly, “You’re not at full strength right now and won’t be for a while. You will need as much help as you can get.” 

He glanced at Erica and Boyd, who were slumped against the other side of the cart, both unconscious and weak from the full moon. They wouldn’t be able to help him but Isaac – 

When he looked back at the boy, he recognized his strength. The full moon had done a number on him, as had the fight to get Boyd and Erica chained back up but his will was steadfast. Isaac returned his stare, the stare of an Alpha, without shrinking away, his head tilting back to show that he wasn’t backing down and that he would do this with or without him. 

Any other time, Derek would have been threatened by the challenge to his dominance, but he knew that Isaac wasn’t challenging him. No, he was a werewolf whose Mate was in danger. Dominance had no place when it came to a wolf’s Mate. Only loyalty. Vanessa was pack, not only to Isaac but to Derek as well. 

He remembered the conversation he had with Deaton when he found him in his old house. 

_“You trust her, don’t you?”_

_“Good. Maybe there is a chance for you yet to become the Alpha you want to be.”_

Trust. The first lesson he learnt about trust when it came to the girl was simple. **_Always_** trust Vanessa O’Connor. 

If the girl who had faced him down in his house the night he slashed his uncle’s throat and stole his power as Alpha was feeling any kind of fear right now, he knew that all bets were off. 

Derek walked behind his chained Beta and drew the key from his pocket, pushing it into the lock and twisting it. The chains rattled behind him as Isaac walked forward, pulling the metal through their loops so that they dropped to the floor with a loud clang. Rubbing at his wrist, the Beta turned to his Alpha and the veterinarian, his golden eyes glowing brightly in the dimly lit room as he growled out. 

**“What’s the plan?”**

Deaton was the one who answered him, “Vanessa is with Scott and Stilinski down at the station. I don’t know what is happening, but I know you need to keep your wits about you. There is a plan falling into place right now and you need to be careful not to fall victim to it.” 

“ _No one_ is falling victim to anything,” Derek insisted, face pulled tight with annoyance as he looked beyond Isaac at his unconscious Betas, “What about them? I can't leave them alone, not like this, not tonight.” 

“I’ll stay to make sure they ride out the full moon without doing any unnecessary damage to themselves or others. You must focus on getting to Scott.” 

“It’s not Scott I’m worried about,” Derek muttered, his gaze shifting to the growling Beta at his side. Red met gold for a moment, and they shared a look of understanding. 

If they had to worry about anyone, it would be Vanessa O’Connor. 

\- 

“Matt,” Noah’s voice came from down the hall, where he had two hands pushed against the shoulders of Scott and Stiles, the only thing holding them back from hurdling down the hall and pushing Matt back from her, “You don’t want to hurt her.” 

“I think I do,” Matt chuckled darkly, jolting the gun and grinning as Vanessa jumped, “I’ve been wanting to hurt her for a while now.” 

“I don’t think so. I think you just want to scare her,” Stiles spoke up, his eyes darting to Vanessa’s as Matt spun her around with the gun moving to graze her skull until it was positioned at the base of her head, “And you obviously succeeded. Can’t you see she’s shaking in her boots? Look at her, man! You’ve brought down the great _Vanessa O’Connor_! Me and Scott have been trying to bring that girl down a notch or two for years now. You did what we couldn’t in five seconds. You should be proud.” 

She communicated just how funny she thought that statement was with her eyes, understanding the silent message in Stiles, _Dammit, Nessie, just play along!_

Internally rolling her eyes, she started with her fingers, tremoring as her hands came up to grip Matt’s arm when he tightened his grip around her neck. She let out a gasp, and felt her legs shake beneath her. She should have known that a psycho like Matt wouldn’t be the kind who thrives on flattery. He knew exactly what they thought of him. He knew that he was the scum of the earth. He knew that anything they had to say was because they wanted to be as far away from him as possible. 

His scoff vibrated loudly in her ear as he rolled his eyes, “Cut the shit and keep walking. I’m not going to kill her….. **yet**. If I heard correctly, then Officer O’Connor should be on her way soon. Wouldn’t want to miss the reunion with Mommy dearest, would we, Nessa?” 

He shook her roughly and she bit back the urge to kick at him as he led her along the hall to where the cells were, shoving her into Scott’s arms before nodding at Noah, “Sit down with your back against the wall. Stiles, cuff him.” 

While Scott steadied her, Stiles and his father did what they were told, the older man sitting down with his gaze unwavering from Matt, who was popping his wrist as he jerked the gun side to side in the motion of a ticking clock. When Stiles was done, Matt smiled knowingly. 

“ _Tighter_ ,” he ordered, wiggling the gun in emphasis. 

“Do what he says, Stiles,” Noah told his son, nodding at him that it was okay. Vanessa clenched her jaw as her and Scott watched silently as Stiles tightened the cuffs, looking up to make sure that it was enough. 

Matt nodded at him before shoving him beside the others, forcing them to walk back down the hall. When they came to another hallway, Scott stopped in his tracks, his jaw dropping open in horror. It was like deju vuv, the second time Scott had stopped like that tonight, and Stiles and Vanessa swallowed hard before they followed his gaze, both of them flinching back at what they saw. 

Vanessa slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle the scream that built up in her throat, the sound transforming into a broken sob as her tear-filled eyes ran over the sight of the butchered, bloody bodies of the officers in the hallway. Their chests were ripped to ribbons, exposing the insides of their torso like frogs in Biology class. She could see their intestines, the organs that used to make their bodies function and she felt acid build up in her stomach before she forced her eyes away from them. Blood splattered the wall on both sides, all the way down to where the emergency exit laid beyond. 

“ _What the fuck_ ,” she breathed out, a tear falling down her cheek as she turned to look at Matt, who considered the hallway with a disturbing sort of interest, “What the _actual_ fuck?!” 

“So much for that list,” Stiles muttered quietly, his face turning pale and his breathing shallow. She shrank into his side, trying to provide both herself and him comfort from the bloody scene before them. 

She had seen Kate Argent’s throat get slashed. She had seen Peter Hale get burnt alive. She had seen Scott get stabbed in the stomach but this, **this** was on a whole other level from anything she had ever witnessed. 

Scott gestured at the bodies, mouth twisted in disgust as he exclaimed, “ _What_ , are you gonna kill everyone in here?!” 

“No, that’s what Jackson’s for,” Matt pulled a face before he turned to them with a smile, “I just _think_ about killing them, and he does it. It's a wonder he hasn't killed you yet, O'Connor.” 

He shoved Scott and Stiles forward but Vanessa stood frozen as a scaly, clawed hand reached around the corner of the exit and snatched the trouser leg of one of the dead officers, both of them disappearing out of her sight just as Matt grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the scene altogether. 

When they reached the Sheriff’s office, Matt pushed her out of his road to inspect the files still splayed on the desk, humming as he read through them. Stiles gritted his teeth from beside her while Scott stood stoic, his eyes narrowed as Matt let out a disappointed sigh before looking up at them all. 

“I didn’t realize I left so much evidence behind.” 

“Don’t blame yourself, kiddo,” Stiles drawled sarcastically from where he was leaning against the file cabinet, “It’s your first murder spree. Can’t expect to be good at it.” 

Matt smiled faintly at that before raising his gun once more, gesturing for Stiles to get behind the desk, “You know, I used to find you really funny, Stiles. What do you think about irony, hm? How _funny_ would it be if you had to shred up all this evidence, huh? You know what? That _is_ funny. Come on over here, buddy, and put all your dad’s hard work through the shredder.” 

Vanessa gritted her teeth at the boy before turning to her best friend, taking notice of the twitch in his eyebrow as he stared at Matt unblinking. The boy with the gun levelled Stiles with a threatening look. 

“That wasn’t a request.” 

Stiles did what he was told, walking behind the desk while Matt took a seat on a chair that was positioned so he would have full view of the show, waving his gun at Scott and Vanessa to join Stiles in shredding the evidence. 

“And the computer!” Matt added as an afterthought, tsking slightly when he saw the light dull in Stiles’ eyes, “Almost forgot about the pesky computer. Forgive me, I’m more of a vintage man myself. I sometimes forget that digital is 'all the rage' these days.” 

Matt’s eyes flickered to Vanessa and she had to resist flipping him the bird at having him flip her words onto her. 

_Sadistic bastard._

Stiles tapped away on the keyboard with a stormy look on his face before releasing a sigh, his fingers twitching on where they were curled around the mouse as he announced, “Deleted. We’re done, alright, so Matt, since all the people you brutally murdered deserved it because they killed you first – whatever that means – I think we’re good here, right? So, I’ll just get my dad and we’ll go, you know? You continue on the whole vengeance thing. Enjoy the kanima.” 

The sarcasm was thick as Stiles pushed away from the desk, his gaze going from where Matt stared at him in disbelief to where his friends stood silently against the wall. Vanessa raised a brow at him. Where the hell was he going with all that ‘whatever that means’ crap? They figured out that Matt drowned in the Lahey’s swimming pool when Camden threw him in. Isaac’s dream and the scene at Lydia’s party when they found out Matt couldn’t swim pretty much confirmed their theory. So, why was Stiles playing dumb? 

Before she could figure it out, the sound of a vehicle pulling up outside drew their attention, the lights shining over their faces through the blinds and she felt dread pool in her stomach at the reminder that both her and Scott had called their mothers to come down to the station to help out with the investigation. 

Matt titled his head back, excitement glittering in his eyes as he announced, “Looks like your mom’s here, McCall.” 

“Matt, don’t do this!” Scott pleaded, his fingers curling into his hand to hide the claws that were itching to come out, “When she comes through that door, I’ll just tell her to leave. I’ll tell her we didn’t find anything. _Please_ , Matt!” 

Stiles shut his eyes as Matt stood up from his chair, pointing the gun at Vanessa when she moved forward as he tutted, “Yeah, not a good idea. The only reason I haven’t shot you is because I want Mommy to see you go but I can’t say that I won’t have my fun with Scott’s mom first. I heard that she’s actually your godmother, Vanessa. Close enough, right?” 

“ _ **You bastard!**_ ” Vanessa seethed as tears pooled up in her eyes, “You do _anything_ to her and I’ll – “ 

The sound of the front door opening made Matt’s eyes flare in manic glee and Vanessa swallowed hard. Scott’s face went pale as he stared in the direction of the front desk, and she saw the conflict in her friend’s face between risking their lives to get to his mother in time and waiting for the right moment. 

“If you don’t move, **_right now_** , I’m gonna kill Stiles first,” Matt told Scott with a grin, before rolling his eyes to door, “And then your mom. Vanessa, of course, will be shot later and then I’ll shoot her mom – _wow_ , I’m shooting _a lot_ of mothers lately.” 

“Alright, we’re going!” Scott cried out, walking out of the office with Stiles and Vanessa trailing behind. 

When they came to the door that led to the front of the station, Scott hesitated before reaching the handle. Matt wasn’t having any of that. 

“ _Open it_.” 

“ ** _Please_** ,” was all Scott said. 

“Open. The. **Door**.” 

Scott closed his eyes in dread before he placed his hand on the golden doorknob, his fingers curling around it tightly. He took a deep breathe before twisting it and Vanessa’s own breathe caught in her throat. 

The door swung open and her heart almost beat out of her chest. 

Standing there with that same brooding stare he had worn on the night they met, was Derek Hale. 

All three teenagers released a sigh of relief and Scott groaned, “Oh thank god.” 

Derek didn’t say anything, only managing a deadpan look at Scott before he fell forward. 

Her eyes followed him the whole way down and her stomach dropped with him. 

Her whole body shaking, Vanessa lifted her eyes up to watch as Jackson strode forward, half his face covered in dark grey scales that ran down his neck, disappearing into his shirt. His eyes were empty, void of any of the arrogance or bored indifference she was used to seeing in them. He stared at them but he wasn’t Jackson. _It_ wasn't Jackson. She resisted the bile that rose in her throat as it’s eyes flicked into thin slits, turning a yellowish-green color that might resemble the acid she tasted in the back of her mouths. 

If he could dispose of Derek like that, they were so fucking screwed. 

The kanima walked like a zombie, without proper will or thought into it’s actions. It stopped directly behind Matt, as if guarding his back from anyone who would attack him from behind while the boy himself bent over Derek, his hands on his knees while he considered the Alpha on the ground with a grin. 

“ _This_ is the one controlling him? This kid?” Derek drawled, directing his unimpressed look from Matt to where the three teenagers stood off to the side. 

Vanessa bit back the urge to scoff at him. Of course, even when he was paralyzed from the chin down, Derek Hale could still act as unbothered as if he was lounging in the Den. 

“Well, Derek, not everyone’s lucky enough to be a big, bad werewolf,” Matt told him, his face scrunching up as he mocked the man on the ground, “Oh yeah, that’s – that’s right. I’ve learned a few things lately. Werewolves. Hunters. Kanimas. It’s like a frickin’ Halloween party every full moon. Except for you two.” 

He pointed to Vanessa and Stiles with a sneer, “What do you guys turn into?” 

"A raging bitch, but, huh, I guess you already knew about that?" the brunette clicked her tongue, trying to remain as unbothered as Derek was about the situation as she inspected her nails. 

The muscles in Matt's cheek twitched and she knew that her comment bugged him but not enough to make him lose his composure. 

"You've got a real attitude problem, you know that right?" he muttered to her before turning the gun on Stiles, raising a brow at him expectantly, "And you, Stilinski?" 

“Abominable snowman,” Stiles replied wittily, “But, uh, it’s more of, like, a wintertime thing, you know, seasonal?” 

Vanessa snorted at him but averted her eyes sheepishly when Matt glared at her. She watched under her lashes as he tilted his head at them both, giving them a considering look before before nodding to someone behind them. The next thing they knew, the kanima had appeared behind Stiles and swiped his long, paralytic claws at his neck. The sound of her best friend’s skin tearing open made her stomach clench and Scott went to catch their friend but was stopped as the kanima raised it’s claws at him, threatening him that if he stepped forward, he’d be next. 

They could do nothing but watch as Stiles staggered forward before falling down on top of Derek with a, “You _bitch_.” 

Derek grunted at the extra weight and if it wasn’t for the fact that all of them were in danger of being gutted by the kanima or shot by it’s psychotic master, she would have pissed herself laughing at the sight of her best friend on top of the Alpha, both uncomfortably pissed off about being in such close proximity to one another and unable to move at all. 

The kanima wagged it’s clawed finger at Scott and Vanessa found herself thinking what a Jackson like thing that was to do. Maybe there was hope for him after all. 

“ _Get him off of me_ ,” Derek grounded out, blinking up at Matt like he was imagining all the ways he was going to kill him. 

“Oh, I don’t know, Derek. I think you two make a pretty good pair,” Matt laughed down at them. 

_That is the first thing that has ever came out of that disgusting mouth of his that I actually agree with. I need to shut him up before he steals all of the one liners in my head right now._

“It must kinda suck though. To have all that power taken away from you with just a little cut to the back of the neck. I bet you’re not used to feeling this helpless.” 

“Still got some teeth,” Derek murmured as he jutted out his chin, his eyes flashing with defiance, “Why don’t you come down here a little closer, huh? See how _helpless_ I am.” 

“Yeah, bitch!” Stiles croaked out. 

“You know, I think I figured out why you’re so hung up on the whole power thing, _Matty_ ,” Vanessa chimed in, kicking her leg back to lean against the wall as both Matt and the kanima fixed their attention on her, “You get off on seeing the big bad Alpha down on the floor because you want to feel like you have some power for the first time in your life. That’s why you had to wait for Allison to be asleep before you took those pictures of her, right? Because you knew, that if she were awake, she would kick your ass from here to Nevada before she ever let you **_touch_** her, let alone take her picture. That’s why you stalked her, why you followed her around? Because you knew that you don’t have any power over her, over _anyone_ for that matter.” 

“I’m gonna tell you a little secret, _Matty_ ,” Vanessa leaned forward with a sneer, “You might have the Alpha right now but we both know that as soon as the toxin is out of his system, he’ll be the big bad and you’ll be, well, _nothing_. Without Jackson, you have nothing. You _are_ nothing and you’re hiding around monsters because you can’t stand the truth of what you **really** are.” 

“Oh, and what’s that?” Matt gritted his teeth, eyes flashing with warning. 

Vanessa couldn’t help the wicked grin that formed on her lips as she whispered, “A coward.” 

Matt straightened up and made as if to lunge at her when the sound of a car pulling up drew their attention. Cocking his head to the side, he turned to Scott with a knowing look as he asked, “Is that _her_?” 

Scott looked away, his jaw clenching so hard that she was afraid his teeth might break. 

“Do what I tell you to do and I won’t hurt her. I won’t even let Jackson near her.” 

_He's a shitty fucking liar too._

“Scott, don’t trust him!” Stiles shouted from the ground, his voice sounding so raw. Vanessa just hoped that it wasn’t the toxin’s doing. 

Matt gripped the back of his flannel shirt and flipped him onto his back, Derek releasing a gasp as the weight disappeared off his chest but started growling low in his throat as Matt put his boot to Stiles’ neck. Vanessa lunged forward but the kanima was in front of her before she could push him off. She froze as the kanima tilted his head at her, such a foreign movement when it still wore Jackson’s face. 

“This work better for you?” Matt spat as he pressed down on their friend’s windpipes, blocking his airways while he struggled against the boot, “Or do I have to actually kill him before I get either of you to cooperate?” 

“No, **NO**! Stop it, _please_ , **_please_**! We’ll cooperate!” 

“Okay, **OKAY** , just **STOP**! _**STOP!**_ ” 

“Then do what I tell you to do!” 

“ **OKAY!** ” Scott yelled back, his face twisting up in a wince as Stiles’ gagged loudly from the floor. 

Vanessa was crying as she watched her best friend’s face contort in pain and she screamed, “ **STOP, YOU’RE _KILLING_ HIM! YOU’RE FUCKING KILLING HIM!**” 

“ **STOP IT!** ” Scott roared and Matt glared at him for a second before lifting his boot. 

Stiles choked as air filled his lungs, coughing haphazardly but unable to get up. Tears slid down his cheeks as he stared up at them both and Vanessa’s legs went out from under her, causing her to slid to the ground beside Derek’s prone body as she sobbed. 

She heard Matt sniff in disgust but couldn’t bring herself to look away from Stiles as he gasped. 

“You, take them in there. Bring the girl, I don’t trust she won’t try to warn the mom and _you_ – with me,” Matt ordered before his footsteps faded away down the hall, Scott only pausing a second to meet Vanessa’s eyes with regret before he followed him. 

It was with a sort of numbness that she let the kanima drag her into the Sheriff’s officer, pushing her onto the floor where she gathered herself up against the wall as he dragged in Stiles’ body, then Derek’s. She stared at them and felt her breathe grow shallow as she tried to process the fact that she almost saw her best friend get killed. 

_Will the nightmares ever or will we all die tonight before they can truly begin?_

The kanima planted himself in front of the door, staring at them all blankly and she felt like screaming at it, at the boy that she knew was still inside. Jackson Whittemore was an ass on his good days and a grade A fucking dickhead on his worst, but he had a heart. Albeit, it was a bit rough around the edges and probably limp as fuck but it was still there. 

It was there when he had chosen to come with them to the hospital when Lydia was attacked, when he chose to help face the Alpha at the Hale House. Yes, it was a bit of a no choice scenario but she liked to think that deep down, he would have saved them – no matter how disturbing it was to think of her life being thrown into the hands of Jackson fucking Whittemore of all people. 

She never thought she would see the day where she would actively wish to see that arrogant smirk on his face. That was the kind of hell they were living right now.

 _I wish Isaac were here right now. I fucking wish he was with me._

She snapped out of her thoughts as a lone gunshot rang out through the police station and she felt her blood chill for the hundredth time that night at the possibility that somebody she loved might have just died.


	38. Cool Motive, Still Murder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I need answers,” Matt murmured, rubbing his nose with the back of the hand that still held the gun.  
> “Answers to _what_?!”  
> “To this!”  
> With that, Matt lifted his shirt to reveal the side of his torso. The skin sprawling up his side was covered in the same grey, scaly texture as Jackson’s face. She watched in a mix of terror and morbid fascination as an electric blue ripple ran up his side before blinking out and she couldn’t miss the ring of irony that surrounded this guy and the entire situation he created.  
> In a form of mania that she blamed on the severe concussion she probably had, Vanessa felt her head fall back against the floor as she laughed out loud, “I fucking _knew_ it!”  
> Matt dropped his shirt and crouched over her, forcing the barrel of the gun against her head as he growled, “What do you know?”  
> Vanessa O’Connor rolled her eyes in a move that made her head feel like it about to explode and she drawled, “Isn’t it obvious? You’re becoming a kanima, dickhead.”  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter that concludes the night of the Full Moon. I know you guys were very excited to see what changes I made and I hope I lived up to your expectations. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you thought in the comments below. You know how I love hearing from you all and your comments really do inspire me to keep writing! As always, all criticism, feedback and suggestions are not only welcomed, but deeply appreciated. Any questions you might have or theories you would like to discuss are also welcomed and something I enjoy engaging in and answering so please don't hold back x  
> Please remember to be kind though and I love you all very much!  
> PS. The editing of this chapter was done under extreme sleep deprivation, in the dark, empty stomach, no coffee, in preparation for an all nighter while dealing with Satan's Niagra falls. Oh, and I ran out of Fred and George Weasley fics to read so there's that (any suggestions, drop 'em in the comments). Play nice down children and looking forward to hearing from you all!

Someone was screaming. It took her a moment before she realized it was her.  


Vanessa scrambled up from the little corner that she had curled herself up in and made a run for the door, forgetting that there was a fucking _lizard_ guarding it.  


She stopped just before she ran into it’s claws but that didn’t stop the kanima from throwing back onto the Sheriff’s desk with a loud crack. Vanessa didn’t need to hear the splintering of the wood underneath her to know that it was going to break and she gritted her teeth as pain spiked up her spine, forcing herself to roll over the desk just as it fell out from where she landed.  


Vanessa cried out as she hit the floor, curling in on herself as a burning ache formed at the base of her neck. Her fingers curled up under her head and when she brought them to splay on the floor, she found them red and sticky with blood. 

_That’s – that’s not good._  


Her vision blurred as she tried to get up. Pressure built up behind her eyes and she knew that she hit the desk with the back of her head. Even if she were to make it to her feet, she would be useless, walking around with a concussion and no help to anyone. Even as her thoughts blended with the pain ricocheting through her skull, she knew that it wouldn’t be a smart move to get up.  


_Fucking kanima throwing me around for the second time in a row._  


So, she did the next best thing. She crawled. Not to the door where the kanima stood waiting but over to where Derek and Stiles lay side by side. Outside the door, she heard Noah shouting from the cells for Matt to listen and heard Matt scream out.  


“ **SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! EVERYBODY, SHUT THE HELL UP!** ”  


She groaned as she slid her aching body to where Derek’s head was, the Alpha gazing at her with eyes creased in concern. Stiles’ lips were moving. They were mouthing her name.  


No, he was _shouting_ her name.  


“Ness? _Nessie?_ **NESSA, ANSWER ME**.”  


“Stiles-” she breathed out, her chest constricting the air in her lungs with the effort it took to speak, “ _Fuck_.”  


She thought she might have heard Stiles’ sigh in relief before he asked, “Are you okay?”  


"Just got thrown around by a psycho murder lizard, so, you know, _just peachy_ ,” Vanessa replied sarcastically through gritted teeth.  


“You _still_ want me to save it?” Derek growled out, his eyes flashing red as they slid to the doorway.  


The brunette shot him a look of disbelief as she exclaimed, “Are you _kidding_ me? I got thrown through a desk and you’re bringing up the deal?!”  


“Real sympathetic, dude,” Stiles muttered from beside Derek, releasing a yelp when the Alpha glared at him.  


“Enough!” Vanessa grunted roughly, shifting her leg to move her forward. It felt like it was getting dragged over nails, “We need to find a way to get the toxin out of your system.”  


“You’ll be waiting a while.”  


She shut her eyes as tears of fury welled up in them.  


_Fucking bastard._  


When she opened them again, it was to the sight of Matt grinning as he ushered Scott inside. Her best friend was clutching his stomach and through her tears, she saw the blood that dripped through his fingertips. His shirt was stained crimson and her mouth opened again as she cried out.  


_You motherfucking bastard -_  


“Scott – Scott – “  


“I’m okay, Nessie,” he reassured as he walked inside, his eyes going to the blood on her own fingers and the growing dampness in her hair. His eyes glowed gold for a brief second before they returned to brown and when he spun on Matt, she heard his voice grow deeper as he restrained himself from shifting.  


“ _ **WHAT**_ **DID YOU DO TO HER?!** ”  


“It seems that Nessie here tried to run away,” Matt clicked his tongue in disappointment as he crouched down beside her, prodding up and down her side until he saw her wince.  


“ **DON’T TOUCH HER!** ” Scott snapped, moving forward until he was towering over Matt, “I did what you wanted. The evidence is gone. Why don’t you just go? What more could you possibly want?!”  


“You – you think the evidence mattered that much, huh? No – no – I want the book! Not just a few pages. I want the entire thing.”  


“What – what book?” Scott frowned.  


Vanessa let out a little laugh that sent her into a coughing fit, “He means the Bestiary.”  


Matt turned back to look down on her and she grinned up at him with bloody lips as she let out a happy sigh, “We don’t have it.”  


“Then tell me who does!” Matt exclaimed.  


Vanessa choked on her words, pain flashing in her chest as she rasped, “It belongs to the Argents. You know? The family of the girl who you stalked, the girl you sexually assaulted? Yeah, that book you want so much – it belongs to her grandfather, Gerard. I think – I think you met him actually. He was the one that crushed that camera of yours when you and your paparazzi pals tried to impede on his daughter’s funeral. Good luck on getting your hands on it, my friend. Or not. Not gonna lie, I kinda hope you die.”  


“What do you want it for anyway?” Scott questioned, his eyes wide and searching as they took in the desperation in Matt’s voice, in his own eyes as they blinked back tears.  


“I need answers,” Matt murmured, rubbing his nose with the back of the hand that still held the gun.  


“Answers to _what_?!”  


“To this!”  


With that, Matt lifted his shirt to reveal the side of his torso. The skin sprawling up his side was covered in the same grey, scaly texture as Jackson’s face. She watched in a mix of terror and morbid fascination as an electric blue ripple ran up his side before blinking out and she couldn’t miss the ring of irony that surrounded this guy and the entire situation he created.  


In a form of mania that she blamed on the severe concussion she probably had, Vanessa felt her head fall back against the floor as she laughed out loud, “I fucking _knew_ it!”  


Matt dropped his shirt and crouched over her, forcing the barrel of the gun against her head as he growled, “What do you know?”  


Vanessa O’Connor rolled her eyes in a move that made her head feel like it about to explode and she drawled, “Isn’t it obvious? You’re becoming a kanima, dickhead.”  


-  


On the other side of town, in a basement of a nice home, a family of hunters were gathered around a table with a number of black boxes sprawled on top. These boxes were all opened, revealing the family crest of the Argents etched into the material.  


In the boxes were various, elite weapons ranging from shiny black handguns and silver revolvers to arrowheads. A girl stood at one end of the table, dressed all in black. Her dark hair was braided back from her youthful face, pulled taunt like the expressions her late mother used to wear before a pack of werewolves killed her and left her body to rot in the forest of Beacon Hills.  


Allison Argent’s eyes were dark, hiding the haunted feeling she felt at standing there with a weapon in hand and wearing black.  


_Like the vision. Remember what happened when you let that part of you take control?_  


The sound of Vanessa’s screams of agony echoed inside her mind but she pushed them, and the entirety of what happened at Lydia’s party, to the back. She couldn’t afford to lose focus, to let weaknesses such as sympathy or pity hold sway over her choices any longer. Those weaknesses led to fear and doubt.  


Doubt led her to make mistakes and the mistakes that she was at risk of making could get innocent people killed.  


She would not let that happen again.  


Allison raised her phone up to show her father when he finished loading his gun, the man turning his head to read what was on the screen. Her father took it out of her hands, and she watched as his brows furrowed in confusion before he read it aloud.  


“He wants the Bestiary.”  


“It’s not from Scott,” Allison said quietly, her gloved hands gripping the table as she leaned forward with a shake of her head, “He wouldn’t have texted me. And he definently wouldn’t have mentioned Derek.”  


She couldn’t help the bite she left in the name. It was like tasting blood on her tongue. She wondered if it was the last taste her mother had when the Alpha and his pack slaughtered her. The betrayal she felt, at finding out what a fool she was to have ever put her faith in the control a wolf possessed over their bestial nature left a pit in her stomach every time the name was brought up to her. Every time she saw their faces in the hallways at school.  


It made her sick to think she ever called them friends.  


_Not Scott_ , a traitorous little thought whispered, _you know Scott is stronger than Derek or his little pack. He defied Derek once. He has control. He’s not like them. He’s not apart of his pack._  


However, wolves were pack animals by nature. They instinctively defended their own, especially if it was against outsiders. By outsiders, she meant hunters. That was who she was, and she couldn’t let her feelings for Scott or Vanessa or anyone get in the way of seeking justice for the innocence that suffered under the terror of monsters.  


_Seeking justice for my mother._  


“The Sheriff’s station?” Gerard questioned, looking shocked for the first time in his long life on why the mysterious meet up must be there of all places.  


“If Derek’s really there, I doubt it’s willingly,” her father murmured as he handed her back the phone, his expression troubled. They had to consider the variables before they made their move.  


“You think Jackson’s there too?” Allison asked, tilting back her head, and shaking her braid to her back as her eyes narrowed at the thought of the kanima. That traitorous voice inside her mind cried out once again that if Scott was with Jackson and Derek, then he was in danger.  


She gritted her teeth in annoyance. Scott could take care of himself and she could take care of this.  


“Maybe,” her father murmured, sending her grandfather a knowing look as he suggested, “Maybe him and the one controlling him.”  


Her father moved the blueprints of the Sheriff’s station to the center of the table and the three of them gathered around to consider it carefully.  


“How many do they keep on night shift?”  


“Since budget cuts, maybe four at the most,” her father replied, straightening up as he thought about it before he considered the situation, “My guess is that they would be either dead or paralyzed by now.”  


Allison swallowed hard at the new information and turned her glare to the paper as the thought settled into her bones. That was four more people that she failed to save. Four more people that died because of the monsters that they let roam free around this town. That _she_ let roam free.  


When she looked back up, she found Gerard’s eyes on her and fixed her face so that it was as imperceptible as stone, already knowing it was a lost cause when his withered lips twitched in amusement at her attempts to hide her emotions from him.  


“This just might be the confluence of events we’ve been hoping for,” the old man announced as his gaze slid between his son and his granddaughter.  


“Confluence or conflagration?” her father challenged, sending her grandfather a look she didn’t care to interpret. Not when both led to the same outcome.  


“I’m open to both.”  


_All our enemies in one place. Some would already be weakened, presumably Derek. Scott would most probably be held hostage with some sort of leverage – maybe the threat to Derek’s life. The kanima and it’s master would be the one’s in control of the building so they will be the one’s we will need to dispose of first. Derek will be easy to take down if he is weak or injured. If it is necessary, I’ll remove Scott from the situation myself.,_  


When Allison looked up, she noticed both her grandfather and her father were waiting for her to speak. The former’s eyes glittered knowingly, as if he knew that she had realized the opportunity that had presented itself to them and had turned it into a strategy that ensured their goals were met. When she turned to her father, she noticed that for a brief moment, his eyes held a sad sort of pride and she wondered if maybe, just maybe, he had seen a glimpse of her mother in her just now.  


“What do we do now?” she asked aloud.  


“Maybe you should tell us,” Gerard’s eyes creased at the corners, his lips turned up in a playful smirk as he informed her, “That authority falls to you now.”  


Her eyes widened and she remembered all that she had learnt. That as hunters, men were raised as soldiers and women were raised as leaders. Before her, her mother was what was called the Argent Matriarch. All their missions, all their decisions fell to her and only her. No man could challenge her power, no matter blood or bonds. Not the power given to her as a woman. 

She had heard that her mother had taken over as the Matriarch when she was eighteen and had married her father. The youngest in their history who proved that it wasn’t the age of a hunter that determined their ability to lead but rather their will to do what was necessary.  


It seemed her father disagreed for he protested, moving in front of Gerard as if blocking his father’s view of Allison would block his suggestion from influencing her into taking power when that he believed she wasn’t ready for.  


“Not at her age.”  


“She’s almost eighteen,” Gerard responded, his eyes fixed on his granddaughter as she contemplated what he had suggested, the power he had laid out in front of her, the authority that came with it, “She knows there’s a difference between revenge and retribution. Don’t you, Allison?”  


Her eyes snapped up to meet his.  


“Make the decision from a vantage point of strategy over emotion,” he reminded her, one of the many lessons he had begun teaching her since her mother’s funeral the week before, “We’ll follow your lead.”  


There was no hesitation. The words were on her lips before she could think them through.  


“I want Derek dead.”  


To her, they didn’t sound like she was putting strategy over emotion, but her grandfather smiled as if she said the right answer. He was an old hunter, a well respected one. He had been representing their family in France while her mother was positioned in the States. If he approved of her decision than it reassured her that she wasn’t going dark like her vision. She was doing what’s right, for everyone involved.  


Her father, on the other hand, didn’t look so convinced as he folded his arms over his chest and raised a brow as he questioned, “What about Scott?”  


She fixed him with a look before replying, “Scott isn’t part of Derek’s pack.”  


“He’s not exactly an innocent bystander either. You can’t pick and choose – “  


“But I _can_ prioritize,” she interrupted him, her eyes flaring at the insinuation that she was in anyway favoring Scott over the cause, over her mother’s memory, “And the _priority_ right now is Derek.”  


“What about the others? Derek’s pack?”  


Her mouth pursed at the thought of them. At the sound of Erica’s girlish laughter or the way her arms tightened as they hugged her close to her chest, back when she cried on Matt Daehler’s bed. Or Boyd’s smile as he was gifted the lacrosse jersey with his number on it that Erica brought for him at the mall, so bright yet so foreign as he took it from her like it would break if he pulled too hard. The look in Isaac’s eyes as he stared at Vanessa jogging away, of the pure love and devotion in them that neither girlfriend nor boyfriend seemed to know about.  


There was a part of her, a stupid, foolish part that hoped they had nothing to do with it. That part reasoned that the damage done to her mother’s body could have been done by one wolf alone, that the pack would have been too volatile for Derek to chance setting them on a hunter.  


A quieter, softer part reasoned that the people she had begun to think of as friends were too good to do something so horrible, even in the darkest of rages but she knew that betting on a werewolf’s control was tenuous at best.  


Nevertheless, there was an answer that came to mind that gave them the chance to redeem themselves and to satisfy her father and grandfather.  


“If they try to protect him, then we’ll kill them.”  


Erica’s laugh. Boyd’s smile. Isaac’s eyes.  


Scott’s lips as they pressed against hers, giving her the happiest feeling in the word.  


“ _All_ of them.”  


-  


Vanessa winced in Scott’s arms as he carried her over to one of the empty deputy’s desks and propped her up in the least painful position they could manage, especially with the dark coloring of bruises blooming from her neck to her lower back, not to mention the bleeding gash on the back of her head that was bad enough to make even Scott wince.  


_He barely showed that much disgust at the sight of the dead bodies down in the hallway. Is he trying to tell me the back of my head looks **worse** than a bunch of dead bodies?!_  


After making sure she was okay, Scott straightened up with a hiss, his hand going straight to the wound on his stomach and drawing her attention to it, once more summoning tears to her eyes as she stared up into his, “Scott – “  


“I’ll be fine, Nessa, really,” he told her quietly, squeezing her hand in his, “I heal fast, remember?”  


“Scott, it’s been over half an hour and it’s still bleeding. You’re _not_ fine.”  


“You know, McCall, I feel sorry for you,” Matt spoke up, moving forward to inspect the wound before raising his gaze to Scott’s apprehensive face, “Right now, you’re thinking, ‘how am I gonna explain this when it heals?’ – and the sad part is, you don’t even realize how incredible it is that you actually _are_ healing. ‘Cause you know what happens to everyone else when they get shot? They _die_.”  


“Quit your bitching,” Vanessa slurred, her head lulling to the side to press her ear against her shoulder in the hopes that it would drown out Matt’s whiney voice, “I’m human and you don’t see me complaining despite the fact your little lizard over there threw me into a fucking desk.”  


“ _Shut up!_ ” Matt shouted, swinging the gun on her in a move that made her eyes roll into the back of her head, “The only reason I haven’t put you down is because - “  


“Because you wanna torture me in front of mommy dearest, blah blah blah,” Vanessa mocked him with her hands before she gave him a lazy smile, “That’s not the only reason though, is it? I have what you so desperately need and if you kill me, it's gone for good. Or well, not gone just hidden in a house crawling with Argents. Hint, hint, they’re trained from fucking birth to kill things like you and your little pet so give it your best shot either way. Huh, shot – get it?”  


She started laughing again until tears were spilling down her face and she thought she might have seen Matt turn to where the kanima was standing behind him and ask, “How hard did you shove her? Jesus fucking Christ and you call _me_ psycho!”  


Vanessa snorted, “I have a fucking concussion, dumbass, what’s the reason for your psychosis?”  


“I died.”  


“You mean you drowned?”  


Matt spun on her with wide, crazy eyes but she didn’t feel like grinning now. No, she didn’t feel like grinning at all as he breathed out, “What did you say?”  


“You drowned. That’s how you died, isn’t it?”  


The boy stared at her aghast, his mouth opening and his tongue running along his bottom lip as he tried to think of how to respond. He turned away from her and she knew, _she fucking knew_ , it was because the poor little psycho didn’t want her to see him cry.  


She had to strain to hear his lowly mutter, “He shouldn’t have let them drink.”  


“Mr. Lahey?” Scott started forward, cocking his head.  


Matt shook his head and repeated, a bit louder this time, “He shouldn’t have let them drink!”  


“The swim team, you mean?”  


The boy turned to give Vanessa a look that might have been appraising on a normal guy, but it just looked fucking weird on this one as he told her, “You’re smart. I’ll give you that. If only you weren’t such a nosy bitch.”  


“What can I say? It’s a give and take world,” the brunette shrugged before levelling him with a knowing look as she said, “You went over to his house, right? Lahey’s. You were – swapping comic books with Isaac? What happened on your way out?”  


Matt was so lost in the memory of it that he didn’t even question how she knew about the comic books as he shouted, “I didn’t know what was happening! I didn’t know they had just won State, and Lahey’s letting his favorites come over to have a couple of drinks to celebrate before he and his wife went out for date night. They had been gone an hour and a couple of drinks turns into raiding the liquor cabinet for more after they went through the carton of beers the old man brought – he left the key with Camden because _who cares if they’re seventeen_ , right?”  


“I’m on my way out clutching this Spiderman – or was it Batman?” there were tears in his eyes as if forgetting this one detail was another nail in the coffin of the trauma this night had left him with and he shook his head, “It was a good trade, that’s all I remember. I’m going outside because I hear music and everyone’s having a great time. I see Sean and he throws Jessica into the pool and then – and then Bennett goes in and then Camden.”  


“Isaac’s brother,” Vanessa whispered.  


“Isaac’s jar head brother,” Matt nodded, his eyes hardening as he tells them in a broken sort of voice, “He grabs me and he – he thinks it’s _funny_.”  


“He threw you in,” Scott said.  


“He was laughing,” the brunette added beside him.  


“Like it was the funniest fucking joke in the world- **I COULDN'T FUCKING SWIM!** ” Matt screamed, thumping his fist against his chest, “That’s what I was yelling at them – at him but nobody - _nobody_ was fucking listening. They just kept laughing and I – I go under and I swallow water, and _no one fucking cares_! And I – I see these bodies underwater. I see Jessica’s got her hands down Sean’s board shorts. Tucker’s grabbing Kara. And I’m _drowning_. I’m dying and they’re **LAUGHING!** ”  


He looked down and there was a pause, as if he needed to take a breathe to ground himself, before he continued, “All of a sudden I was just – lying by the pool. And Lahey – Lahey is right there, right above me and he says – “  
Matt lunged in front of Scott, getting right in his face as he lost himself in the memory, pointing his finger at Scott’s chest, “You tell _no one_! _This_ – this is _your_ fault! You don’t know how to swim? What little bastard doesn’t know how to swim? You say _nothing_! You tell _no one_! **NO ONE!** ”  


Chest heaving, Matt pulled himself back as he whispered, “And I didn’t. I didn’t tell anyone. And I would see them at school, and they won’t even look at me. I’d wake up in the middle of the night. I’d gasp for breath and my parents – my parents thought that I was an _asthmatic_! They-they-they even gave me an inhaler! They didn’t know that everytime I closed my eyes, I – I was drowning.”  


He was looking off into space now, his gun loose in his hands and Vanessa thought about it for a moment – just a second – about leaping off the table and grabbing it but then he was speaking again and his voice was – it was morbid. Like he was discussing his own funeral. And, she suppose, in a way, he kind of was.  


“You know that little white light they talk about, the one you see when you die? Well, I didn’t see anything. Just darkness. Everything was dark,” Matt took a breathe before his lips curled up into a smile, as if he was thinking of something happy, “But then – then came the Argent’s funeral and _everything_ changed. I was taking some photos – “  


_Of Allison, you fucking perv_ , Vanessa wanted to cough but he was talking too fast for her to do it in a way that wouldn’t be awkward. Or that wouldn’t end up with a bullet in her skull.  


“And then, purely by accident, Lahey get’s in one of the photos! I look down at the screen on my camera, and I just had this unbelievable rage that filled up inside of me and I just – I look at him and I – I wanna see him dead. And the next day, he actually _was_.”  


The amazement in his voice made her want to kill something, preferably him but anything would do. It wasn’t the person’s death that made her angry – no, she really wasn’t that sad to see that child abusing son of a bitch show up dead – it was the fact that her boyfriend got caught up in his wannabe psycho serial killer origin story, one that almost cost Isaac his life.  


_You are so lucky I can barely see you right now, Matt Daehler, because if I could make this weak, broken body of mine get off it’s ass without it falling over, you would be ten times too dead to even bury._ br />

“You know, Einstein was right. Imagination _is_ more important than knowledge. It was like something out of Greek mythology. Like the Furies – the Furies coming down to punish Orestes,” Matt gushed before he took in the blank look on Scott’s face and rolled his eyes with a deep, disappointed sigh, “You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”  


Vanessa knew, before her best friend even opened his mouth, that he was going to say dumbass answer and by God, did he not disappoint.  


“Was – was he the guy who stabbed out his eyes?”  


“ _God_ – that’s Oedipus, you dumbass!” Matt shoved the gun into Scott’s chest and Vanessa quickly cut in.  


“Orestes was the one who killed his mother and her lover after they killed his father, Agamemnon. In Greek mythology, Furies are creatures of the Underworld that exact vengeance on those who wrong others,” she explained to Scott before turning to Matt with a raised brow as she said, “You think that the kanima, that _Jackson Whittemore_ , is your - what? _Your_ Furies?”  


“They had tears made of blood and snakes for hair!” Matt exclaimed, eyes alit with the very thought of these mythical beings.  


Vanessa couldn’t help but point out, “Not to mention the fact that they’re _pure fucking legend_ but go off!”  


He ignored her, continuing on with his dramatic little rant even though she felt like she was about to pass out and Scott was still bleeding all over the carpet, “If there was a crime that had gone unpunished, the Furies would do the punishing. So, yes, Jackson _is_ my Fury.”  


“They come in threes so if he was a ‘Fury’, as you like to call him, you would need the matching set to be able to call them 'Furies',” Vanessa informed him with a deadpan expression, taking great joy in seeing the vein pop out of his head as he turned to glare at her, “But yeah, we get it, he exacted vengeance and blah blah blah. Keep going.”  


Matt sneered at her before turning his attention back to Scott as he continued, “When I saw him the next night, it was like this bond had been cemented between the two of us. I knew he had killed Lahey for me and I knew he would do it again. So, I went to Tucker’s garage. I even paid for an oil change. Guess what? He didn’t even _recognize_ me! So, when he wasn’t looking, I took a shot of him with my camera and in a few hours….he was dead.”  


He smiled at the memory and Vanessa resisted the urge to throw her shoe at his face as he said, “So, I took more pictures. All I had to do was take their picture and Jackson would take their life.”  


The boy turned back to where the kanima stood and the two shared a strangely intimate look that made both Vanessa and Scott shift uncomfortably from where they leaned on one another, their injuries putting a strain on their ability to stand – or sit, in her case – up straight.  


_Ew, those two would **not** make a good couple. If Jackson is ending up with anyone, it’s himself. Like Narcissus. I wonder if Matt would appreciate that little Greek mythology reference? Mmmm…probably not._  


She ended up settling for, “Hmm, nice motive – still murder.”  


It was a pretty good one liner but she was pretty sure he was going to kill her for it.  


“ _Excuse me?_ ”  


Vanessa rolled her eyes again and only mildly cringed when it added pressure to the migraine building up behind her eyes as she shrugged, “You know, you’re a little bitch, right? I get it – _trust me_ , I get it. Mr. Lahey – he was a son of a bitch. But he hurt more people than just you! My boyfriend had to spend _three years_ of his fucking life getting abused by that bastard but you know what – he didn’t start murdering people!”  


_Fuck not moving, he was going to get a fucking taste of his own medicine!_

Leaping off the table, she threw herself on the boy and wasn’t fazed at all when his gun came to settle on her forehead once more, his hand gripping her shoulder hard enough to bruise.  


Scott called out her name but she didn’t have it within herself to care.  


She gripped his shirt in one hand and hissed, “Isaac put up with that man for _three years_ and to this day, he remains good. He hasn’t killed people or orphaned newborn babies! He didn’t perv on unsuspecting girls or follow them around town. He didn’t break into their houses or touch them without their consent, without their knowledge! What’s your excuse for _that_ , buddy, because lemme tell you, drowning in a fucking swimming pool will **_not_** cut it!”  


Vanessa pressed her head into the barrel and growled, “My boyfriend got thrown in jail because of what you did! He got charged with a murder he didn’t commit, and he had to go on the run because you got high on the power of having a murder lizard as a pet! You killed a newborn baby’s mother barely an hour after he was brought into the world! You have no fucking excuse at all except that you’re a selfish coward who hides behind his gun and lizard because he can’t fucking put on his big boy pants and deal with his trauma like the rest of us!”  


She should have seen it coming, honestly, because, let’s be real here, she had ran off her mouth to a psycho who didn’t like hearing the truth. She felt his hands wrap around her throat and it was like he snatched the breath from her lungs. She fought it like you would fight that one family member at the Thanksgiving get togethers. They were family but boy, were they a bitch to deal with. She happened to be very familiar with this family member. Their name was 'I can't fucking breathe'.  


“Looks like I’ll be killing you after all,” Matt whispered and as the blood pounded loudly in her ear, she heard Scott roar from behind her before everything went dark.  


No, not the kind of dark that you embraced when you blacked out. The room literally went dark as the lights were shut off and Vanessa knew, in the part of her brain that could still form compound sentences, that shit was about to go down.  


In the darkness, two pairs of eyes glowed gold. One from behind her and one from the doorway behind Matt. That’s when she heard _his_ voice.  


“ **Get your fucking hands off of her.** ”  


It sent shivers up her spine, that voice did, and it almost undid her.  


He was here.  


A deep growl rumbled through the room and she cried out in relief as Matt’s hands loosened from around her throat and she tore out of his grip, knocking into the desk behind her. Her head lulled backwards to rest on the cabinets she was leaning against and she relished the sound of heavy footsteps charging towards them, knowing full well what was going to happen.  


_He's so sexy when he's playing hero._  


Matt started shouting, distressed at his loss of control over the situation, “What is this? What’s going on?!”  


He was cut off as a pair of hands fisted themselves in his shirt and lifted him up in the air, leaving him with no choice but to stare into a pair of golden eyes that glared brightly in the darkness.  


“ **You’re going to regret ever harming a hair on her head!** ”  


The boy started struggling, screaming out for Jackson and the creature that had him in his grasp threw him across the room and into the wall with a satisfying thud as a loud screech came from behind him.  


Vanessa had no clue what was happening, could barely hear over the sound of her own restless heartbeat but she tried her best to shake it off, to regain a sense of awareness that might help in the situation. She felt around in the dark until she found a leverage and pulled herself up so that she was half standing and called out for Scott.  


“What’s going on? Scott, tell me what’s happening!”  


“Vanessa, _don’t move_!”  


“Why?!”  


She blinked back the shadows that had veiled her sight and turned to her right, flinching as she met the eyes of Scott’s wolf in the black space beside her.  


“Because if you move, Isaac _will_ lose control.”  


_Isaac. It really is him!_  


Another growl only confirmed what her best friend was saying, and she froze where she stood. Heavy grunts and loud shrieks from the kanima filled the space as the sound of fists and claws bruised and sliced at skin. She closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing, knowing that this wasn’t the time to lose herself to fear. Not when Isaac was depending on her to keep her cool.  


She felt Scott shift closer to her as Isaac let out a roar of pain and he whispered, “Ness, when I tell you, run to the office and shut the door.”  


“What? _No_ – I’m not – I’m not leaving you!”  


“Jesus, Nessa, just do what I say!”  


Before she could protest, she felt him rip away from her and cursed his stubborn werewolf ass. She knew that if she didn’t go along with his plan, whatever would happen to them, to him, would be her fault. There was no way in hell she was going to let that happen.  


She heard a hiss of surprise from the kanima and Scott gasp before a bright light shone through the window, revealing the scene that had played out in the darkness right before her eyes. Not even a few feet from her was Isaac, crouched down on the floor, his shirt torn around his shoulders and back and damp with blood. His head was bowed but she could see the tremoring in his hands as he growled low in his throat at the two standing above him. Or rather, at Scott.  


Her best friend stood as still as death between the kanima and Isaac, his face scrunched up in agony. When she shifted forward, she felt the air get knocked out of her. Because the kanima had his claws three inches deep inside Scott’s bullet wound and he was only pushing them in deeper, and deeper, and deeper until it felt like they would come out of the other side.  


Vanessa’s eyes met Scott's from where he craned his head over his shoulder and he let out an agonized scream, “ _RUN!_ ”  


Her hand was tugged forward, wrapped up in Isaac’s – who she didn’t even _see_ get to his feet – and she forced herself to run past her best friend, tears falling down her cheeks as he let out another pained grunt. From behind him, bullets shattered the windows from outside and Vanessa ducked her head to avoid getting her brains blown out before they made it out into the hallway.  


“ **Where’s Derek?!** ” Isaac shouted at her, his voice coming out deep and strange - especially when he still bore his lupine features - as they ran.  


“Sheriff’s Office. Last door on the left,” she gasped out, “What’s going on? Who’s outside?”  


“ ** _Hunters_**.”  


“Are you fucking kidding me?!” she screamed out as they crashed through the door into the Sheriff’s office, “They have impeccable fucking timing!”  


“ **No shit** ,” Isaac growled to himself before he turned to her, stopping short when he caught the scent of her blood in the air. Storming forward, he gently brushed his fingers over her head, extremely mindful of his sharp claws, until he saw her wince in the shadows, rubbing his fingers together to find them warm and sticky with blood. _Her_ blood.  


“Hey, careful with the merchandise,” Vanessa groaned, craning her head away from his hands, “Your girls kinda bruised if you hadn’t noticed.”  


She saw him stiffen and she groaned internally to herself, _Nice. Remind your volatile, over protective werewolf boyfriend - who just went through a full fucking moon - that you’re hurt. Full of great ideas, aren’t you, Nessie?_  


**“I’m gonna kill him** ,” he seethed, his golden eyes flashing to the door she was leaning against, “ **I’m gonna fucking kill him.** ”  


Vanessa was half-concussed, half-tired and half-scared out of her fucking mind. She could barely speak, barely string together a comprehensible sentence and she couldn’t keep her mind focused on more than one thing at a time right now but if there was one thing she did know, without a shadow of a doubt, was that she needed him, right here, right in front of her. Not going out there where there were bullets raining down like men on a good day and a fucking kanima doing God knows what to her best friend!  


She needed him with her and that was what made her snap her hand out to rest firmly on his chest, pushing him away as he made to open the door. Vanessa glared at him in the darkness, not flinching as those golden eyes of his glared back and she told him.  


“If you leave me, I will **never** forgive you. My best friend just got impaled on claws that have gutted more than _six_ people that _we know of_ and my godparents are locked up in the cells right now. There are hunters out there who would love to put a bullet through your brain, and you want to go _back out_? With all of _them_?” the brunette snapped, pushing at his chest until he stepped backwards, her following him as he went, “I’m scared, I’m tired, my body aches all over. I want to kill him too, _I do_ , but right now, I need you to stay here with me. I need you to help me get Derek and Stiles so that there are more of us to up against the hell that’s happening right outside that door. _God_ , are you even _listening_ to me, Isaac – “  


He lunged forward and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her up as her legs went out from underneath her, his strong hands holding her bruised and aching body to him with a gentleness that made her cry. Her tears slipped down her cheeks and wet their mouths, salt tanging their tongues but they didn’t care. He was with her and she was with him. He was alive and whole in front of her and she was finally in his arms again. Everything else faded off into the background, all the horrible noises coming from outside, the blood of the other dampening their finger tips, the quiver of their bodies as they pulled each other tighter -  


“Um _hello_?!” Stiles’ voice was the equivalent of stopping a record in the middle of a good song and the couple snapped their heads away from each other to stare at where the boy and the Alpha laid paralyzed on the floor beside them, both glaring up at them for choosing to make out rather than to do anything productive, “Do you guys mind waiting until after everybody is not dying to get all gross? _Please_?!”  


The couple pulled away from each reluctantly, making to move towards them when the door crashed open, both of them spinning around in defensive stances but sighing in relief when they saw Scott fall through, kicking the door close behind him.  


“Scott! Thank fuck you’re here!” Stiles cried out, eyes shutting in relief, “I thought I would have to put my life in the hands of the two lovebirds!”  


Scott blinked at them all before shaking his head, moving to crouch beside Stiles before looking at Derek and Isaac. Derek had begun to move his legs and arms, a bit stiff in the joints but better than the paralyzed state Stiles was still in.  


_If only the paralyzed state included his mouth_ , Vanessa thought grumpily before she stumbled over to stand over Scott with a hand to his shoulder as she asked, “Are you okay?”  


“I’m fine. I threw Jackson into a wall but we both know it won’t keep him down for long,” he explained with a grim expression before turning to Isaac and Derek to tell them, “Stiles’ dad and my mom are locked in the cells.”  


“Vanessa,” Isaac murmured from where he was helping Derek off the floor, his eyes flashing guilty as they met hers over his Alpha’s head, “Your mom’s there too.”  


“ _ **What?!**_ ” she screeched, feeling the world shift beneath her feet until Scott caught her just as she was about to keel over, “What is she doing there?”  


“I tried to tell her to wait outside but she knew you were inside and - “  


“It doesn’t matter,” Derek interrupted them with a grunt as he hefted himself up, “Scott, take Stiles and Vanessa and get out of here. Once you get them out, meet us in the cell block.”  


“But – “  


“He’s right, Ness,” Scott told her, “I need to make sure you and Stiles are safe.”  


She hung her head at that. She hated it, she hated it but she knew that they were right and that arguing about it any longer would cause more trouble than it was worth but as she slid her eyes over Stiles’ prone form slumped over Scott’s shoulders, to the tremble in Derek’s limbs as he used all his strength to get his torso up off the floor to how Isaac’s eyes glowed with an intensity that clenched her heart as they stared at her, she couldn’t stop the tears. 

She threw herself on Isaac, pressing a hard, wet kiss to his lips before she whispered, “Take care of him. Take care of yourself and come back to me alive or so help me – “  


He kissed her this time, a soft, tender thing that was supposed to reassure her but made it all that much more difficult for her to pull away as he murmured back, “I will.”  


Vanessa got to her feet, her fingers slipping off his shoulders as she spun around to help Scott with Stiles, slinging one of his limp arms over her shoulder and pulling them both out the door without so much as a look back, knowing full well that if she did, she would never be able to take another step.  


“Isaac’s strong. He must be if he’s resisting the full moon,” Scott whispered to her as they walked out into the empty hall, smoke thick and stinging her eyes, “He’ll be okay.”  


From where his head had been previously been slumped back so that he was looking upside down behind them, Stiles’ muscles tensed under Scott and Vanessa’s tight grip and the boy let out a terrified groan, “Yeah, wish I can say the same for us. We might want to pick up the pace people!”  


Vanessa craned her head over her shoulders, squinting through the thick smoke and darkness of the hallway. She didn’t realize she was staring right into the reptilian eyes of the kanima from where he hovered by the open door of the office they vacated, his claws out and his shadow dark as he prowled forward.  


Whipping around, she willed herself to move faster, even as her back burned and her head spun, muttering to Scott on the other side of their limp friend, “ _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, move, move_ , **MOVE, FUCKING _MOVE_!**”  


The werewolf grunted, kicking open door after door to help drag them through, managing to evade the kanima by the swing of wood before they would eventually hear it slam open from behind them again. She heard the kanima shriek loudly in frustration and the air chill at her neck as it’s claws missed her by a hair’s breath before Scott shut the metal door close behind them, slamming the lock into place.  


They stood there listening as the kanima raged, and they didn’t move until the terrifying noises it made trailed off down the hall. Vanessa helped Scott set their friend down in the chair and spun around, letting out a yelp when she came face to face with her reflection.  


They were in the interview room, she realized, as she inspected the double sided mirror with a suspicious glance before she heard Stiles chauffing from behind her.  


“What’s so funny?” she frowned at him, settling her hip on the table.  


“I would scream too if I had to see myself looking like that!” he jutted out his chin at her, the only part of his body that he could move and the one part that, some might argue – and by some, she meant _her_ – that should be paralyzed for the sake of all their sanities.  


Vanessa threw him withering look before dryly replying, “Well, I’d take looking like fresh hell than being dragged around like a rag doll.”  


“That would be a fantasy come true for your lazy ass, don’t even deny it!”  


“Look as much as I’m glad we can joke around about this,” Scott started, running a stressed hand through his hair as he stared at them both in bewilderment, “I need to get back. Derek and Isaac aren’t in any state to hold their own right now and by the looks of things, they need me more than you do.”  


“I got thrown through a desk and he can barely move but my _Werewolf On Roids_ boyfriend and his all mighty powerful Alpha need you more than _we_ do?” Vanessa cried out incredulously, turning away with an exaggerated sniff as Scott tried to protest, “No, stop! We don’t want to hear it.”  


Scott rolled his eyes at her before walking over and placing a chaste kiss on her head before leaning over Stiles to adjust his head, the other boy moving it away as far as he could with a, “Hey, hey, hey! I love you dude but not enough to let you kiss me goodbye!”  


“Whatever, just - just – don’t move!”  


All three of them went silent at that with both Vanessa and Stiles levelling their friend with a deadpan look that he sighed at, throwing his hands up as he walked back towards the door, “You know what I mean.”  


Vanessa stood up to follow him, watching with all her nerves on edge as he inched it open, his ears pricked as he listened out for the kanima before he turned back to her, his eyes softening slightly as they took in their best friend, who had slumped forward so his face was squished against the table.  


“Look after him will you?”  


The brunette scoffed, wiping a hand over her nose to hide the tear that slid down her cheek before waving him off, “Haven’t I always?”  


Scott shook his head at her before reaching for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as he promised her, “I’ll look out for him too, you know. Isaac, I mean.”  


She gave him a weak smile, silently cursing him for coaxing another tear from her eye before whispering, “You better. I bloody like this one and if he get’s damaged, it’s coming out of your furry ass, buddy!”  


He grinned at that before letting go of her hand, ready to turn around and make a run back towards the office but froze up as he caught an achingly familiar scent in the hall, his eyes glowing gold as he whispered horrified, “ _Allison_?”  


Just as the tip of her silver arrow grazed his chest, still loaded on the black crossbow she shoved against him with a force that was too aggressive to be a lover’s greeting but too careful to be an enemies’ rage.  


That was how Vanessa found herself leaning against the doorway to the interview room, the blood pounding in her ears and the voice in her head making a snide remark, _And I thought my relationship was weird_.  


-  


Allison stepped forward out of the smoke, dark hair pulled back into a braid that flicked out from behind her head like the tail of a coiled whip. The tightness in her facial muscles were emphasized by the practical style, as was the sharp planes of her bones as shadows and small fractures of light danced off them in a way that drew attention to how pale her skin was and the dead look in her eye as she considered her boyfriend and her best friend.  


“Where’s Derek?” was the first thing she said to them since the party, causing the two to rear back away from her, from the question like it was acid that she was spitting.  


“Allison? What are you doing here?!” Scott’s eyes widened as they darted to scour the hall behind her for the familiar, slithering shadow of the kanima, panic building up in his chest and in his head like a freight train of one jumbled thought, _What is she doing here? What is she doing here? What is she doing here?_  


It was an unconscious move on his part, moving towards her out of a deep, need to reassure himself that she wasn’t hurt, that she was okay, that she was with him. Unfortunately for him, it was the _wrong_ move as he was pushed back with the arrow on the crossbow, a shallow graze enough of a threat to make him jump back from her in shock and in hurt.  


“I’m _not_ going to ask you again,” Allison gritted her teeth as she trained the crossbow on him, “ _Where is Derek?_ ”  


Vanessa decided to intervene, slipping around Scott with her hands raised and flinching slightly when Allison turned the crossbow in her direction. The revenge plans, the bloodlust for Derek Hale’s death by her arrow, the darkness in her head from her mother’s death came to a stop as she recognized her best friend at the other end of her weapon for the second time that night.  


Scott had growled out in warning when he saw the crossbow aim in Vanessa’s direction, but the brunette only stood there with her hands up, her face as cold and unmoving as stone as she stared down the girl she called friend. To her credit, it had seemed that Allison too was shocked by her act born of instinct as she stared at her best friend with her mouth agape, guilt, regret and something else, something just out of reach flashing, behind those dark eyes of hers as they were pierced by eyes of blue sapphire.  


The werewolf beside them held his breath as the two girls stared one another down before a veil was drawn over Allison’s expressions, returning them to their brittle fury. The dark haired girl withdrew the crossbow slowly, pulling it up to aim at the ceiling beside her head.  


“I’m not here for you but make no mistake, I **will** find Derek. If you try to get in my way, you will regret it.”  


“Allison?” Scott murmured, inching forward a bit before she fixed him with a glare that was almost as sharp as the arrow, causing him to still in his approach but not in his questioning, “What happened?”  


“ _ **Where is he?**_ ”  


“Tell us what happened and we might tell you.”  


Allison’s lips twitched in a way one might normally associate with amusement, if it weren't for the sad, bitter look in her eye as she turned to the brunette, shaking her head knowingly as she said, “I know you would never give up the Alpha, Vanessa. Not as long as Isaac is in his pack. It is because of that, that I am willing to be lenient with how he and the rest of them are dealt with but for now, you two need to stay away from me. And you need to leave. You’re no longer needed here.”  


Vanessa leaned forward at that, mouth roaring open in outrage as she began in an increasingly loud voice, “If you _think_ I’m going to _leave_ _my Mom and my boyfriend_ – “  


The dark-haired girl sighed, not willing to let her best friend’s outrage grow loud enough to draw attention to their location. Scott stood there gaping as his girlfriend, in one smooth, agile move kicked out Vanessa’s upper legs, sending her stumbling back onto the interview room floor. The girl on the floor flipped back the brown strands that had fallen over her face to reveal Allison, giving her one last, regretful look before she shut the door, the sound of the handle on the outside jarring abruptly telling her it was broken.  


On the outside, Allison glanced up to meet Scott’s eyes, beautiful soft brown and currently wide in shock as they watched her back away from him, the crossbow once again aimed at his chest to dissuade him of any ideas of trying to stop her or even following her as she made her way down the hall and around the corner, disappearing into the smoky hallways crawling with things that would love to kill them both.  


Scott turned back to the interview room door, hearing the fists that banged upon it with a fury of a woman scorned and he pleaded with the owner of those fists softly through the metal, “I’ll look out for them, Ness, I’ll look out for them all!”  


“ **I changed my mind, Scott!** ” she screamed back at him, “Any **damages** come out of the skinny hide of your girlfriend, _I swear to fucking God_! You better hope I never get out of here, Scotty, because if I do and I find Isaac _or_ Derek dead, there will be _hell to fucking pay_!”  


Gulping hard at the anguish behind the threat, Scott could only nod before he too disappeared down the hall, hoping to God that his best friend wouldn’t have to act on it.  
-  


" **AGH!** " Vanessa screamed as she kicked the door for the tenth time since she got off the floor. Alongside the migraine that was building up in her head and the deep ache that had grown into the muscles all along her back and shoulders, her foot was starting to sting as she sent it into the metal door again. And again. And again. 

"Yeah, because that worked out so good for you the first few times you did it," Stiles muttered sarcastically from where he was slumped on his chair, "But go ahead, give it another go! This one might make it shake!" 

_What the actual fuckitity fuck?!_

Vanessa turned to her best friend and fixed him with an incredulous look as she spat, "What the fuck is your problem?!" 

" _My problem_ , Nessa, is that I'm paralyzed from the neck down, our parents are stuck in this place somewhere probably losing their minds and your wasting time kicking a metal door that's been _broken from the outside_." 

"And that's _my_ fault?" 

"No, I'm not saying that. What I am saying is that it's pointless to keep kicking at the door when we both know it's not going to get you anywhere." 

The brunette threw up her hands in frustration and cried out, "What am I supposed to do then? Just sit down and do nothing!" 

They both fell silent as she realized what she was implying and she felt all the fight leave her body as she sagged on the corner of the table, sighing deeply as she said, "Look, that's - " 

"No, you're right." 

" _No_ , I wasn't being fair - " 

" _What?_ " Stiles frowned up at her before rolling his eyes and amending, "No, no, you were _way_ out of line with that. What I meant was that you're right that you can't just sit here and do nothing. But kicking the door won't work." 

"Well, it's the only way out. The window is unbreakable - " 

"No, we're leaving through the door," Stiles interrupted, his brows furrowing as he seemed to consider something before he told her, "You just need to **believe** we can." 

Vanessa stared at him blankly for a moment before shaking her head, "Okay, you lost me." 

Stiles sighed before explaining, "Look, the night of the Rave. I was supposed to put the Mountain Ash circle up around the entire building to trap the kanima inside, remember?" 

She blinked at him before waving her hand, "Yeah? I'm sorry but I don't see how that's relevant to the situation at hand here - " 

He sent an annoyed look at her before continuing on, "Well, I ran out of Mountain Ash when I had about twenty more meters to go but I somehow managed to complete the circle. Now, tell me, how did I do that?" 

Vanessa ran a stressed hand through her hair, wincing when her fingers brushed the wound on the back of her head and she sighed, "I don't know, Stiles, magic or _something_ \- " 

She went completely still, eyes widening as they turned to meet his expectant brown gaze waiting for her to connect the dots. 

_He can't be serious._

Her skepticism obviously showed because he managed a little nod with his head, licking his lips before he began to explain, "Okay, look, do you remember when we went to see Deaton and he gave me the Mountain Ash? Do you remember what he told me?" 

Vanessa shook her head and he went on, shifting his head into a more comfortable position before he continued, "He told me that the best golfers never swing before first imagining where they want the ball to go. He said that it is extraordinary what the _force of your own will_ can accomplish if you just **believed** hard enough." 

"Stiles, _I swear to god_ , if this is a fucking _pep talk_ about 'believing in yourself' I'm going - " 

The boy threw his head back and groaned loudly, " _You're not **listening**_ , Ness! What I'm trying to say is that night, at the Rave, when I still had all that way to go, I closed my eyes and I tried to **imagine** that I was slowly completing the circle, I **believed** I was completing the circle and when I opened my eyes, _I did_. I completed it with an impossibly small amount of Mountain Ash because I **_believed_** that I could." 

"But - " 

She remembered her own conversation with the veterinarian and stopped. 

_Vanessa had sidled up next to the vet and whispered, “Force of will, huh?”_

_“It can do amazing things, Vanessa. Like I told Stiles’, it can only work if you believe it will work.”_

_“Does that apply to everything or only the Mountain Ash?”_

_Deaton had turned to her with his brows furrowed in thought as he considered her, before warily replying, “I believe that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, if you will it.”_

She blinked back the tears that burned in her head and croaked out, "What if I can't do it? What happens if it only works for you?" 

Stiles raised a brow at her before scoffing, "Ness, you're the most stubborn, most defiant, most impossible person I know. If anyone could defy the laws of the universe and believe something into existence, it's you. If I can do it, then you can too. You just have to **believe** you can." 

Vanessa closed her eyes and took a deep breathe, nodding at his words as they resonated through her mind. Getting up off the desk, she walked over to the door and stood sideways, considering it as her hands clenched and unclenched themselves. 

__"Think of it like gunpowder, Ness," Stiles murmured from behind her, "It's just powder until a spark ignites it."_ _

___Gunpower. A spark._ _ _

__"So, spark the fuck out of that kick, Nessie, and get us the hell out of here!"_ _

__She felt a grin creep onto her face at his words of encouragement and leaned back._ _

___Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in._ _ _

___You heard the guy! Spark the fuck out of that kick!_ _ _

__With a spin, she sent a kick into the door with as much strength as she could and flinched back when the metal shuddered violently enough that the brick archway creaked loudly from above her._ _

__She turned around to face her best friend with her jaw hanging open in amazement and found him whooping in delight before he said, "Again!"_ _

__Turning back to the door to send another kick, she thought to herself with a smirk, _I guess I am pretty magical after all._ _ _

__-_ _

__The cement was cool and chilling against Allison's back, despite the leather jacket and sweater that separated the floor from her bare skin. She had underestimated her enemy and now her failure was burning like ice into her back from where she lay. Stiff, frozen, paralyzed._ _

___Powerless._ _ _

__Thick dark stands fell over her face when she fell back and they covered her mouth, causing an uncomfortable itch to spread over her gaping lips. A few pieces of hair had fallen into her mouth, tickling the back of her airways and causing her lungs to seize, not only in fear, but also at the threat of suffocation._ _

__Footsteps grew closer to her prone form and her mind drifted back to the pictures that now currently resided in the back of her mostly empty desk. They, as well as the old stamp baring her family’s crest – the crest that had adorned the envelope containing her mother’s letter, were the only items on her desk, the only things she needed to build the will to continue her mother’s cause in her steed._ _

___To Hunt Those Who Hunt Us._ _ _

__Yet it wasn’t Derek Hale that loomed over her, eyes grinning manically with lips pulled up in a faux sympathetic smile. It wasn’t his claws that hovered over her face, ready to strike at her most vulnerable features but rather human fingers with blunt nails that pulled the dark hair from her face and mouth. Matt Daehler, a human boy who had hurt her almost as much as the Alpha she hunted, crouched over her, the kanima sitting on the car above him like a good little servant._ _

__Because _this_ was the threat. Master and servant. _ _

__“You should’ve given me a chance,” Matt sighed in regret, shrugging his shoulders in mock disappointment, “Cause, remember how I said I’m not the kind of guy who would say something like, ‘Well, if I can’t have her, no one can’? It’s not totally true because – Allison, _if I can’t have you_ , **NO ONE CAN!** ” _ _

__His voice had morphed into something other, something animalistic and it reverberated off the walls of the Evidence Room. She couldn’t hide the fear that permeated her soul, how it threatened to make her heart beat out of her chest or the way it constricted her lungs until she was gasping for air. She couldn’t even turn away from him, her limbs unmovable. She couldn’t close her eyes because that made it worse, the thought of him looming over her again, of him _touching_ her again. She could almost imagine the flashes of his camera, of her clothes pulled and placed where he wanted them so that she was bare. Vulnerable. Open to attack in every single possible way. _ _

___No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, No, No, No, NO, NO, NO FUCKING NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOOOO!_ _ _

___He can’t do this to me again! I was supposed to be stronger, to be able to face this bastard and every other scumbag because they weren’t **them**. They didn’t have claws, they didn’t have teeth, they didn’t have packs or Alphas, or full moons. They weren’t creatures, they weren’t the **true** enemy! So, why, **WHY** , am I here again? Why is it **him** I am felled by and not the beast that killed my mother!?_ _ _

__The sound of metal clanged from further back into the room, just out of her peripheral vision. Allison felt her muscles flood with tension at the same time fear drained out of them as Matt turned to where the noise came from, his eyes narrowed and searching before he got to his feet._ _

__He left her with a parting glance, a dark, sinister promise that glittered in his eyes before he walked out of her vision. The kanima leaped after him, it’s tail curling up into the air before disappearing over the roof of the car she had jumped on to get the momentum she needed to get the jump on it._ _

__That plan looked stupid from where she way laying now and she closed her eyes as the ghost of defeat haunted her bones, wearing her down until she was about to admit it. Tears were stinging her eyes, burning her lungs and fear still held her heart in it’s tight, unyielding grip. She had done everything right from the element of surprise, to attack it’s blind spots, to hitting every major kill point on it’s body and it _still_ wasn’t enough. There was only one reason that could be. _ _

___I'm just not strong enough._ _ _

__The revelation forced her into the floor even more and she almost prayed for death._ _

___You’re weak. You’re weak and look where this weakness has gotten you! On your back, enemy at your throat, at your stomach, at your eyes. Weakness surround you, girl, and you wear it like a cloak, like you do shame._ _ _

___It’s the same weakness that got your mother killed and now, as soon as the kanima is done killing everyone in this station, it will come back and finish you off!_ _ _

___It’s the least you deserve after failing to kill it in the first place._ _ _

__A cry wrangled itself out of her mouth before it was silenced by a heavy hand and her eyes flew open. Above her was her father, one finger to his lip. His eyes were creased with such worry that the nasty whispers only grew as he looked around for their enemy before he took her into his arms and crept out of the Evidence Room._ _

__“Dad – I – I – “_ _

__Her father shushed her as he made his way along the hall before quietly telling her, “Don’t use your strength talking.”_ _

__A tear slid down her cheek as the weight of her failure sat on her chest and she whispered, “Where are you taking me?”_ _

__“You’re in no position to be fighting. I need to find someplace safe for you to ride out the toxin.”_ _

__“There’s – there’s the interview room,” she informed him quietly, “That’s where Vanessa and Stiles are. I saw them when I was doing the sweep of the halls.”_ _

__“And Scott?”_ _

__“What about Scott?”_ _

__“Where was he?”_ _

__Her jaw tightened at his question and she mumbled back, “I thought you told me not to use all my strength talking.”_ _

__Her father sighed but didn’t ask again, just continuing to walk down the hall in silence until they reached the hallway that led to the interview room. He had just started down the hall when the door to the room vibrated from the force of a heavy thud. They both froze, eyes narrowing on the metal door._ _

__“Was Scott with them when you saw them last?” her father murmured quietly as he readjusted his grip on her immobile body._ _

__Allison swallowed. He wasn’t asking this time to test the waters of how strong her will was. He was asking because the alternative wasn’t something he wanted to fathom. As the door shuddered again under the impact of the person on the other side, Allison breathed out._ _

__“Not inside.”_ _

__Her father started moving back slowly, his eyes never leaving the door. They had almost made it back out into the main hallway when the door flew open, slamming against the wall. Allison let out a gasp, her heart rate increasing at the thought of the dreaded scene that would be revealed to them._ _

__Her breath shuddered in her chest as she heard Vanessa’s squeals of delight as she skipped out, exclaiming back to Stiles, “ _I fucking did it!_ ” _ _

__“Yes, yes, you did, now please – _shut the fuck up_ so we don’t get caught!” _ _

__The Argents watched as Vanessa’s head swung towards them, the joy in her eyes dying as she took them in and muttered back to her best friend, “Too late.”_ _

__-_ _

__“You can see the irony in this situation, right?” Vanessa murmured down at the paralyzed girl. After some words were exchanged between herself, Allison, and her father, she had reluctantly walked over to give him a hand in lying Allison down on the table._ _

__Allison gasped out as the cold, hard metal table bit into her back and tried to speak, “Vanessa – “_ _

__“I really _don’t_ want to hear whatever _delightful_ excuses you have as to locking us in here – _especially_ after talking about how you were going to be hunting down whatever or whoever was in your path so please, _save it_.” _ _

__The dark-haired girl’s eyes widened at the glare her best friend shot her before she sighed in defeat as another failure was piled on top of her. She blinked back the tears that threatened to spill and took a deep breathe, determined that she would die as the indomitable soldier she made herself rather than risk undoing all her hard work, all her sacrifices to cry to Vanessa about how she really felt._ _

__Vanessa turned away when Allison shut her eyes, her own eyes glassy as she forced herself to accept the truth: Allison wasn’t going to apologize for her actions, for her words. She wouldn’t apologize because she didn’t **regret** them. _ _

__Anger swelled up in her chest once more but she knew that she would get no satisfaction out of taking it out on the girl in front of her, not when she couldn’t fight back, not when she barely had the strength to defend herself. Instead, she fixated on Allison’s father, holding out her hand as he stared blankly at her._ _

__“Knife. Give me a knife. I know you have them all shoved in places I don’t even want to think about so the least you can do is hand me one.”_ _

__Chris Argent raised a brow at her before asking, “And what do you think you’re going to do with it?”_ _

__“Well, it’ll sure make me feel better holding something that could be used to defend myself with so – “_ _

__“What I mean to say, Vanessa,” Chris interrupted as he came to block the door, “Is your not going to need a knife because you and Stiles will be staying right here. With Allison.”_ _

__Vanessa had to laugh at that, leaning forward to throw the full force of how much that amused her in his face as she told him, “No. _You’re_ going to stay here with _your_ daughter and the hundred fucking knives you have to defend her with. _Me and Stiles_ are going to go find _our_ parents and get the hell out of dodge before we get killed in whatever sick **game** Gerard is playing here! Now, do you want the deaths of two innocent kids on your conscious or do you want to _give me a fucking knife_ , Mr. Argent?” _ _

__Chris gave her a long hard stare before he realized that her and Stiles were going to go whether or not he gave her the knife. Sighing, he reached down into his boot to pull out a small knife, handing it over to her while murmuring words of advice, “It’s called a gambler’s dagger. Aim for the neck or eyes. As soon as you let go, don’t bother trying to get it out. Run away.”_ _

__The brunette scoffed at that, slipping it into the pockets of her sweatshirt before turning to help Stiles up from the chair he was in, the boy having regained movement in his arms and in his left leg and was able to hold onto her shoulder tightly as they stumbled to the door._ _

__Before they walked out, Vanessa craned her head back over her shoulder to give Argent a threatening look as she warned him, “If you people threaten to kill my friends again, _ **I’ll slit your throat**_.” _ _

__She shut the door, ignoring the way Chris Argent tilted his head with an impressed look before she started dragging Stiles down the hall, her best friend leaning his head against her shoulder as he mumbled, “You’ll slit his throat?”_ _

__“Shut up. I had to say something.”_ _

__“Nah, nah, it was good.”_ _

__“It was lame, wasn’t it?”_ _

__“Do you know how to slit someone’s throat?”_ _

__“I’m sure I can look it up online or something.”_ _

__Stiles snorted at that but didn’t say anything else as they stumbled slowly to the cells. As they grew closer to where they could physically see the bars, their breathing became shallow as they tried to remain as quiet as possible. They could hear Noah struggling with his cuffs, his grunts growing louder as the metal clanked loudly against the railing. They could hear Melissa’s whispered encouragements and her sigh of relief when the cuffs snapped, the sound echoing around the cell block._ _

__The two teenagers practically fell against each other and were about to walk forward when Sarah suddenly shouted a warning to Noah. They rounded the corner just as Matt swung his gun into the back of the man’s head, knocking him to the floor._ _

__Vanessa’s hand slid over Stiles’ mouth as he cried out, the girl struggling to pull her friend back and out of the sight. Her knuckles grew wet from Stiles’ tears as they slid down the wall to the floor, her arms wrapped tightly around the boy who was slumped against her as they listened to Melissa’s screams._ _

__“Matt, Matt, _please_ , listen to me!” the nurse begged, her voice croaking as she coaxed the boy to turn his attention away from the unconscious man towards her, “My son has been shot, and I’ve heard other gunfire and I don’t know what’s happening but can you please, just, _let me see my son_?” _ _

__From around the corner, the brunette on the floor felt her breathe hitch at hearing her godmother sound so desperate and as Matt scoffed back, she felt like she could actually be capable of committing murder in the wretched state she was in. Sliding one arm out from around Stiles, she palmed the handle of the gambler’s knife in her sweatshirt and took deep breaths, in and out._ _

__“How totally _clueless_ are you people?!” _ _

__“You think _we’re_ clueless?” Sarah’s voice shouted incredulously, “You’re the one who came in here guns blazing! You killed four cops, shot one kid, held five other people hostage and you think _we’re_ clueless!? You know, you were lucky to get away with a restraining order for the shit you pulled with the Argent girl but now? Boy, you’re going to jail and you know I’m gonna be the one taking you there!” _ _

__“Try me, Officer O’Connor, God knows I’ve been itching for an excuse to put _you_ down. It’s only a shame that Nessie isn’t here to see it – “ _ _

__A deep, threatening growl rumbled through the room, drawing Matt’s attention away from the bars over to the dark archway on the other side of the cells. Vanessa could see from where she was sitting the two figures that prowled out of the darkness, their eyes, one pair golden and the other red, glowing brightly as they settled on the boy with malicious intent._ _

__Derek stepped forward first, the light hitting his face and illuminating his ridged, lupine features as he snapped his jaws, his claws glittering on either side of him. Isaac got to a crouch beside him, and for just a second, he cocked his head to meet Vanessa’s eyes from where she and Stiles hid in the hallway._ _

__She smiled weakly at the shock that spread over his face and the flash of frustration that followed before he whipped his head back to Matt with a snarl. Her shoulders shrank back in fear as a low hiss came from the opposite doorway, and while she couldn’t see the kanima, she could hear the screech it levelled at the two werewolves, her hands flying up to cover her ears at the inhumane sound._ _

__The teenagers watched as the kanima jumped on Derek, the Alpha spinning around and throwing the creature off with a growl. Isaac caught the kanima by the neck and threw it onto the floor, pinning it with his boot while Derek lunged at it to deliver a punch to it’s head. The kanima was quick though and dug it’s claws into Isaac’s calf, swiping the Beta’s legs out from under him and rolling over to avoid the punch that Derek instead delivered to the floor, cracking the cement open._ _

__Vanessa gasped as Isaac struggled underneath the creature. This time, Stiles was the one to cover her mouth with his hand as she made to shout at Derek to help him. The Alpha jumped up and tried to rip the kanima off the Beta but in one strong maneuver, the kanima flipped Derek over it’s shoulder, causing him to crash into the wall and land in a pile on the floor._ _

__However, this gave Isaac the opening he needed to buck the kanima off of him enough so that he could slip out, kicking up off the floor and spinning in time to avoid another swipe of from it's claws. He landed in a crouch before the cells and growled warningly as the kanima made to attack Noah Stilinski’s unconscious body._ _

__It hissed before rearing up on it’s feet, it’s tail cutting the air behind it in sharp whips in case Derek recovered early. Isaac got to his feet, running forward with a snarl to tackle the kanima. His arms wrapped around it’s head and he tried to get it into a headlock but like the reptilian it was, it managed to slither out of it’s hold and throw him over it’s shoulder, sending him into another wall, just like it did with his Alpha._ _

__Vanessa heard the crack of bone from where she sat and couldn’t help the scream that escaped her throat as she watched her boyfriend’s body fall to the floor, unmoving. Stiles pressed his hand firmly into Vanessa’s mouth but didn’t look away from the scene before him as the kanima lunged at the bars, it’s tongue flicking out to taunt the terrified women behind them._ _

__He watched as Sarah stood protectively in front of Melissa, staring the reptilian creature down as it’s claws tapped menacingly against the bars when a shadow ran past them, slamming into the kanaim’s back. The creature let out a hiss of pain before it dropped to the floor in front of the shadow, revealing to the women in the bars, as well as the two teenagers on the floor in the hallway, Scott McCall, in all his werewolf glory._ _

__He turned away swiftly to take up Isaac’s previous position, crouching in front of the cell his mother was in with his head bowed just as Derek recovered from the kanima’s attack and made a jump over the desk to run after the it as it made it’s escape down the hall. Scott kept his head bowed low, even as his mother fell to her knees behind him, begging him through the bars._ _

__“ _Oh god_ , Scott? _Scott_ , are you okay?” Melissa cried, her hand reaching out for her son, who she last saw keeling over and bleeding from a gunshot wound to his abdomen, “Scott?” _ _

__From where they sat, the two teenagers watched in silent horror as their best friend turned to look at his mother from over his shoulder, his brows and snout still that of a wolf’s and his eyes a glittering gold that resembled anything but that of the human boy Melissa raised from birth. Vanessa felt a lone tear drop down her cheek as Scott stood up tall to face his mother, even as she shrank back, weeping in fear and dread that her son was a creature like the ones that had battled in front of her._ _

__Vanessa and Stiles’ watched their friend hang his head in shame for being the cause of his mother’s fear and they couldn’t find it within themselves to blame him as he ran off after Derek._ _

__When he disappeared and the cellblock fell silent, Vanessa felt all the fight, all the will, all the strength leave her body and as black dots swarmed her vision, she cast one last look at Isaac's crumpled body on the other side of the room before she succumbed to the pain and the concussion that had been slowly wearing her down all this time._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few questions:  
> \- What did you think about the changes made? Love? Hate?  
> \- What was your favorite canon divergent moment?  
> \- What was the most interesting canon divergent moment?  
> \- What did you guys think of Allison's POV?  
> \- What did you think of Allison's dynamics with Scott and Vanessa?  
> \- Which one of Vanessa's witty commentery did you like most and which one did you find the most interesting?  
> \- Did you enjoy Isaac's entrance? Were you satisfied with his reunion with Vanessa?  
> \- What do you guys think about Spark!Vanessa? Love it? Hate it? Any suggestions for how you might like it to be part of the storyline?  
> \- What do you expect for next chapter? (Remember suggestions are welcomed and will be given credit where credit is due)


	39. No Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _What happened? Where’s Matt? Jackson? Is Scott okay? Oh my god, Melissa saw him! What about Chief? He was barely stirring when I passed out. Oh god, Stiles – Stiles was trying to tell me something – he caught me – he – his dad got hurt and then he had to deal with me – oh my god, the boys had to go a whole day – are they okay? What about Erica and Boyd? Were they okay? It was their first full moon!_
> 
> _Wait – Mom – Mom was there. She saw everything. She saw Scott. She saw Derek. She saw –_
> 
> _FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK._
> 
> “You need to get back in bed.”
> 
> “ _What I need_ is to get to Sarah and do some **serious** damage control,” Vanessa corrected him, trying to wrench her limbs out of his grasp. She thought she was getting some major leeway with the whole ‘Superman Grip’ he was working until she was hit with a wave of dizziness that made her see two Isaacs on her way to falling on her ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! I am so sorry that I haven't updated in quite a while - I was so busy with writer's block and HSC trials (YR12 exams) that I completely dipped and left ya'll hanging. I hope you guys still read this measly fic because you guys are the ones who have gotten me through my writers block. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, can't wait to hear what you think! 
> 
> Spoiler alert: ANGST.

_"A drop in the ocean, a change in the weather, I was praying that you and me might end up together._

_It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert, but I'm holding you closer than most 'cause you are my heaven."_

\- 

#### VANESSA O'CONNOR

_“That was – “_

_“Heaven.”_

The memory of her soft laugh and the sensation of falling into a warm, comforting embrace had her eyes snapping open too fast for her mind to catch up with and she was left with the unsettling feeling of being blind to the world around her. One thing was for certain, though. 

The cotton sheets she was wrapped up in were definently _too_ comfy to be those offered in the cots of Beacon Hill’s Sheriff Station Cells. This had Vanesa O’Connor all over it. 

Said girl didn’t know how she went from the floor of the Sheriff’s station to her own bed, but that was where she had woken up. Someone had changed her out of Stiles’ sweatshirt and put her into an oversized flannel shirt that looked vaguely familiar and when she went to touch the back of her forehead, she felt up and down her wound to find the cotton string of stitches that closed it. 

Sitting up against her pillows with a groan, she looked around her room for any indication of what happened after she passed out at the station. It was dark, pitch black except for the faint lines and edges of her furniture. It was also cold, probably from the cool night outside that had infiltrated her room through – 

Of course, the open window. The open window where, in the cover of darkness, a figure sat sprawled on the window seat. 

_"I don't wanna waste the weekend, if you don't love me pretend._

_A few more hours then it's time to go...."_

Her breathe hitched in her throat and she saw the figure shift, the blurred lines of broad shoulders moving as they leaned forward. 

Hoping the soft, piano melody that was playing softly on the radio beside her drowned out how her heart was currently beating out of her chest, Vanessa slid her hand up her sheets to the bedside table where the lamp sat. It clicked on, illuminating a harsh yellow light that made her blink back stars and black dots and instigated a painfully familiar ache. 

_Stella idea, O’Connor. Turn on a frickin’ light straight after waking up in a pitch-black room. That probably does wonders for the grade A+ concussion you’re rockin’ there, chic._

“Are you alright?” 

Her eyes snapped open once more and trained on the figure, now standing by the window. The blurred lines and harsh lights went in and out of focus until everything sharpened and the world came to a standstill. The breath left her lungs in one fell swoop and she couldn’t describe the feeling of seeing Isaac Lahey, whole and alive and looking even more god-blessed in the lamp light. 

_"And as my train rolls down the east coast, I wonder how you keep warm."_

“It might be my roaring migraine, but for some reason, you look unfairly hot right now,” she murmured with a lazy smile, trying to hide the wince as she straightened up and immediately felt the makings of bruises burn through the muscles in her back. 

It was worth it though. And she was right, per usual. 

Isaac hardly looked like he had been thrown through a wall by a psycho killer lizard or like he had just been through a hell of a full moon. In fact, in that black leather jacket that hugged his shoulders and biceps in just the way she liked it, her boyfriend looked like he was immovable. Every inch of the badass, Beta wolf his Alpha intended for him to come across as. 

_Badass, great ass – he’s got both going for him……and **that’s** how you know you got thrown through a table, Nessa._

He ran a hand through his dark blonde tresses. She bit back the gasp as another ache rocked through her head and through the blur of light and shadow, Isaac's deep-set blue eyes creased in concern. He took a step forward before stopping himself and when she said it hurt, it _hurt_. 

It hurt way more than any migraine, than any concussion to see him step back away from her. 

She should have realized that something was wrong when he didn’t give her that breathtaking smile of his at her sad attempt at humor. 

_"It's too late to cry, too broken to move on."_

Shaking her head clear of the warning bells, she gave a tentative roll of her shoulders to test the limits of the damage to her back and almost fell against the headboard in relief when they didn’t make her want to scream out in agony. 

“What time is it?” Vanessa asked, ignoring the tension that had built up in the seconds he didn’t take that goddamn step towards her. 

“Almost going on to six.” 

She raised a brow at him, “I’ve only been out for three hours? That’s disappointing.” 

Isaac shook his head and his fingers twitched from where they fidgeted with the zipper of his jacket. 

“Vanessa, it’s Friday morning. You’ve been unconscious for the whole day. They only brought you home a few hours ago.” 

“ _What?!_ ” she screeched, causing Isaac to flinch back in surprise at her sudden outburst. 

She couldn’t bring herself to feel regret for scaring him, not when the fact that she slept through a whole day’s worth of changes suddenly plagued her thoughts. 

_What happened? Where’s Matt? Jackson? Is Scott okay? Oh my god, Melissa saw him! What about Chief? He was barely stirring when I passed out. Oh god, Stiles – Stiles was trying to tell me something – he caught me – he – his dad got hurt and then he had to deal with me – oh my god, the boys had to go a whole day – are they okay? What about Erica and Boyd? Were they okay? It was their first full moon!_

_Wait – Mom – Mom was there. She saw everything. She saw Scott. She saw Derek. She saw –_

_FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK._

Vanessa didn’t realize that she had started to get up until Isaac was in front of her, his hands clasping her forearms firmly and it was only then she felt the pins and needles in the soles of her feet. Her legs were like jelly as she clutched the boy in front of her. 

“You need to get back in bed.” 

“ _What I need_ is to get to Sarah and do some **serious** damage control,” Vanessa corrected him, trying to wrench her limbs out of his grasp. She thought she was getting some major leeway with the whole ‘Superman Grip’ he was working until she was hit with a wave of dizziness that made her see two Isaacs on her way to falling on her ass. 

_Oooo, two Isaacs. That sounds fun._

Before the ground came up to greet her with another bruise, Isaac brought his arm under her legs and carried her back to the bed, laying her down with a gentleness that coaxed tears from her eyes. The boy sat on the small space at her side, his arms caging her in. 

_"And still I can't let you be, most nights I hardly sleep, don't take what you don't need from me."_

He was close now, so close that she could appreciate how the scent of the Axe deodorant he wore went well with the smell of the genuine leather of his jacket. She was so caught up in trying to pinpoint which deodorant he wore – _was it Provoke or Provocation? I know for certain that it’s the one with the purple tribal design_ – when his breathe hitched sharply. 

_Probably because you have your nose stuck halfway down his collar, you idiot!_

Her cheeks were embarrassingly warm as she pulled back, her blue eyes flickering up sheepishly to meet his. Isaac looked like he was in pain, staring down at her with his eyes shining suspiciously with amber. The tick in his jaw jumped and she could practically hear the sharp grind of his teeth together. She lifted a tentative hand to his cheek, her fingers just grazing the sharp cheek bones when his hand enveloped hers, effectively stopping her from reaching further. 

“Vanessa – _**I can’t**_.” 

It was the painful finality in his voice that did it. That undid all the denial she had been working so hard to build. From the fact that he was sitting so far away from her when she woke up, to not coming towards her until she almost fell over, to keeping her from touching him more than was necessary. 

_"It's just a drop in the ocean, a change in the weather, I was praying that you and me might end up together."_

Vanessa swallowed back the bile that climbed her throat and croaked, “What is it?” 

That’s when she heard it. 

Loud, sharp voices broke out downstairs, one unmistakably Sarah’s and the other a man’s deep baritone. She sat up straighter in the bed, causing Isaac to lean back so that they weren’t so close and she didn’t have the mind to be hurt by the sudden realization that all these little acts he made were to distance himself from her, not when a low growl erupted from downstairs. 

Her eyes widened in shock and fear as she whispered, “ _Derek?!_ ” 

She turned to Isaac, who had also turned to stare at the door in concern and she asked, “ _Derek’s_ here? Why the hell is Derek _here_?” 

Isaac sighed, rubbing at his jaw, “We barely left your side at the hospital, let alone when they tried to drive you back home. The only reason Sarah let him through the front door is because he promised to leave and never come back if she let him say his peace.” 

_Aw, Derek was worried about me? That’s so sweet._

“As beautiful as it is that the sourwolf has braved the O’Connor women to make sure I recovered okay, I’m gonna go put him out of his misery, calm Sarah down before she goes for the shotgun and hopefully resolve this hot mess before anyone gets shot. And when I mean anyone, I mean Derek – “ 

She had rolled over to the other side of the bed now that he wasn’t caging her in and had made to walk to the door before Isaac slid in front of her. Cursing werewolf speed to hell and beyond, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at the taller boy, who to his credit, didn’t balk at the expression on her face. 

“Vanessa, you don’t understand. Derek promised to leave and never come back. Never see you, never talk to you, never go near you, never be seen within an hour of where you’ve been seen - ” 

“So?” she shrugged, raising a brow at him, “Babe, I know you’re reasonably new to this but Derek and I have got this down pat or do I have to remind you that me and him became friends when he was still being chased down by the cops every Thursday night?” 

Vanessa patted his arm as she pushed past him, halfway out into the hallway when he spoke up again. 

“She made me make the exact same promise.” 

_"Its like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert…."_

She froze. 

_Oh hell fucking no._

“What did you just say?” 

Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he heard it all the same. She knew he would, which is the only reason she didn’t **scream** it at him. That, and because it seemed that all the voice left her throat. Her vocal cords burned as she gaped on the spot like a fucking fish, ripped from her and leaving nothing but ruin behind. 

“She made me promise to never see you again. Never to speak to you. Never to go near you or be seen with you outside of classes. She made me promise – “ 

Vanessa spun around faster than either one of them could realize and stormed back into the room, slamming the door behind her as she went. Isaac didn’t move as he watched her make her way to him, his fists tightening at his sides as he waited. She stopped a hairs breathe away. 

_"But I'm holding you closer than most 'cause you are my heaven."_

“Tell me you didn’t make that promise, Isaac,” she begged softly, lashes fluttering low as she blinked back the tears, “Tell me you told my mom that you couldn’t make that promise. **Tell me**.” 

He turned away from her, but he could still see her from out the corner of his eye. He could see the way her cheeks glistened with tears, could see the lamplight shine on her glassy sapphire blue eyes and he wanted to throw up. 

Squeezing his eyes shut, he whispered, “I can’t tell you that.” 

“Isaac, look at me,” Vanessa murmured in a low voice. When he shook his head at her, she repeated herself loudly, “ **LOOK AT ME!** ” 

He didn’t. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. 

The more he shook his head, the more her hands started shaking. 

She lifted them to his face and her lip wobbled when she saw him instinctively pull away from her. She dropped her hands but not her stance and she got up on her tippy toes so that he couldn’t turn away from the sound of her voice. 

“Why did you make that promise? Tell me _**why**_.” 

“Because she was _right_ , Vanessa,” Isaac rasped out her name and she hated the way it sounded when it was torn from his lips like that, “You shouldn’t be involved in all of this. You risk your life every single day that you’re with us and you walk back home, scared, after being thrown through walls but you still wake up the next morning and do it all again - and for _what_?! For _Derek_? For _me_? For Scott and Stiles?” 

“And Erica and Boyd. Lydia and Allison. I would do it every day for the rest of my life if it means I’m saving you people from losing yours!” 

“Did you think for a second that we wouldn’t **want** you to do that?! How do you think we'd feel if you ended up losing your life, Vanessa?! God, how do you think _I_ would feel if you ended up getting yourself killed _because of **me**_?!” 

“Are you **serious** right now?! _I’m_ the reason you’re in this fucking mess in the first place, Isaac! Same with Erica and Boyd! I can’t just turn my back on you! It’s the only thing I can do to protect you, so I’m doing it!”

__

__

__

“ **I DON’T NEED YOU TO PROTECT ME!** ” he shouted back at her, his eyes flashing gold, “You say that you’re the reason we’re in this fucking mess but your missing out on the big fucking picture, Vanessa! _You’re_ the reason I’m alive right now. _You’re_ the reason Boyd and Erica aren’t living in their own personal hell and that’s _more_ than we ever expected to be. But how do we pay you back? We get you **hurt**!” 

__

__

__

He pressed closer, forcing her to take several steps back until she was flush against the door and he whispered the words like they burned his tongue, “ _I_ get you hurt.” 

__

__

__

Her shoulders slumped and she immediately brought her hands up to cup his face as she attempted to reassure him, “Babe, you don’t get me hurt. The people out there do. The hunters, the kanimas, the Matt’s of the world. That’s not _your_ fault – “ 

__

__

__

“But _it is_!” he hissed, jerking back from her to run his hand through his hair as he repeated, “It is because they wouldn’t be after you in the first place if it weren’t for us!” 

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__

“So - what?!” she threw up her hands, giving him an incredulous look, “ _What_? You want me to turn my back on all of you? My brothers? My best friends? _You_!?” 

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“If it means that I don’t have to watch you get strapped up in a hospital bed _every goddamn week_ , then yes. I want you to turn your back on us.” 

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Vanessa rubbed the tears off her nose with the back of her hand as she scoffed, “Good thing you don’t speak for everyone then.” 

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_"The last excuse that I'll claim, I was a boy who loved a women like a little girl."_

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“Oh, I think I do,” Isaac sighed, exhaustion lacing his breath as he breathed out, “Sarah called Scott. She doesn’t want him coming over for a while.” 

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Vanessa let out a borderline hysterical sound that sounded like it rode halfway on a laugh and a scream, “ **WHATT?!** She can’t do that! The guy is practically _blood_. His mother is my godmother, for Crist sake and she _what_? Wants to cut them off?! No – _**no fucking way**_.” 

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“You don’t have a choice, Vanessa – “ 

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“I think the fuck I **do** – “ 

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“ _Vanessa_ – “ 

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“ **STOP CALLING ME THAT!** ” she screamed, pulling at her hair as she turned on him. 

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Isaac fell silent in shock as her mouth wretched open in a silent sob, her shoulders shaking vigorously as she wrapped her arms around herself. 

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“It’s your name – “ 

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“ **NOT THE ONE YOU CALL ME BY!** ” Vanessa cried out, staring up at him distraught, “You call me Ness, Nessa, Love, Beautiful. When you call me Vanessa – it’s like your putting a wall between us. Like you’re trying to make this impersonal. You’re treating me like a stranger and I’m _not_ gonna let you.” 

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“You’re right. I’m trying to do the right thing by you here – “ 

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“I never asked you to.” 

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“That’s the thing – you don’t have to,” Isaac told her softly, “I will always do right by you. And if that means promising your Mom not to see you anymore, then I’ll do it. In a heartbeat.” 

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The front door slammed loudly downstairs, jarring her away from Isaac. She pulled open the bedroom door and jogged out, leaning over the bannister to see Lisa standing with a pissed off Sarah, the blonde woman’s arm wrapped around her wife’s shoulders as she tried to calm her down. 

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“ **DID YOU KICK HIM OUT?!** ” Vanessa shouted angrily at them. The two women pulled back from each other, looking up at her as their expressions morphed from that of shock to concern. 

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“Sweetheart, you need to go back to bed – “ 

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“ _Oh my fucking god_ – you _actually_ kicked him out, didn’t you?!” 

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“ _Vanessa_ – “ 

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Screaming out in frustration – _I swear to fucking god, if one more person calls me by my full fucking name again_ \- the girl turned on her heel and stomped back to her room, coming to a sudden stop when she caught Isaac trying to climb out her window. He froze when he heard her inhale sharply and sighed, turning to look over his shoulder at her mutinous face. 

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“You are _so **not**_ leaving me right now.” 

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“Van – “ he cut off when he saw her eyes flare wide and quickly rushed out, “I need to go. Derek’s waiting for me.” 

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“ **I DON'T CARE!** ” she rushed forward, her hands wrapping around the lapels of his leather jacket, “You _can’t_ go. You can’t leave me like this – not after how we just ended that conversation!” 

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“I need to go,” Isaac insisted in a soft voice that almost broke her, one of his hands coming down over the fists that held him captive, “ _Please_ , let go.” 

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_"And still I cant let you be, most nights I hardly sleep."_

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Vanessa shook her head, rushing out as tears spilled down her face, “Do you remember what I told you last night? At the police station?” 

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Isaac sighed and reminded her, “That was the night before – “ 

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She squeezed her eyes shut in frustration and cried out, “ **I know!** Just – just – do you remember what I told you?” 

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He hesitated for a moment before he shook his head and she pulled him close, the only thing stopping her from dragging him halfway back through the window was the iron grip he had on the windowsill. His eyes were hooded as they stared down at her, but she brought her face so close to his that she could see the tears that welled up in them, causing the deep set blue color to grow more vibrant in the most beautifully melancholic way possible. 

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_"Don't take what you don't need from me."_

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“I said if you leave me, I will **never** forgive you,” she breathed out harshly, her voice cracking on the last word. A haphazard sob escaped from the boy’s throat as he tried to tear himself out of her grip, causing her to rush out the next part, “But I change my mind. If you leave me, I’ll forgive you but _**only**_ if you promise that you’ll come back. You _have_ to come back, and I don’t care when or where or why or how. If you make me that promise, I’ll forgive you.” 

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_"It's just a drop in the ocean, a change in the weather, I was praying that you and me might end up together."_

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She brought her forehead to lean against his and uttered the words, “Come back to me.” 

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She repeated those words like it was a prayer and he dived forward to kiss her hard, the hand he had previously wrapped her fists in now coming up to caress her cheek as he angled her head to press his lips against hers in a way that made her think he was trying to imprint the mark of his mouth into hers so that it would stay with her forever. 

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_"It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert, but I'm holding you closer than most 'cause you are my….. heaven doesn't seem far away anymore, no no, heaven doesn't seem far away."_

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_"Heaven doesn't seem far away anymore, no no, heaven doesn't seem far away."_

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He pulled back too fast, too soon and as quickly as he gave her air, he robbed her of it when he rasped out those three little words. 

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“I love you.” 

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Vanessa froze under his hands, her blue eyes open wide and her mouth left agape. Isaac stroked her cheek with his thumb longingly. 

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His hand froze as his gaze flickered to something behind her and hardened. He swallowed before letting his hands leave her face and before she knew it, he was ripped away from her as he jumped down from the roof. 

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Her eyes stayed on him as he landed on the ground in a roll, before getting up in one swift move and making a sprint across the lawn to the Camaro parked across the street. 

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He didn’t look back as he jerked the door open roughly and disappeared into the car, nor did the driver pause before kicking into gear and pulling out into the street. 

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She stood there for what felt like a millennium, staring out that window, waiting for this nightmare to end with the Camaro coming back and for Derek to hop out with a sardonic smirk and a ‘that’s for the PDA’ and for Isaac to climb back up to her bedroom window and kiss her long and hard and whisper apologies against her skin and – 

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_"A drop in the ocean."_

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In a distant, sort of detached way, she knew that she was sobbing but she wouldn't stop - _couldn't_ stop. Her whole world seemed to crack like glass, shattering in front of her one shard at a time and it felt like she was getting cut on all the little pieces. 

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The ground came up behind her fast, faster than the first time and with no Isaac there to catch her, she hit it with a sharp cry. Her legs took the brunt of it, burning as the skin on her calf and knee scraped against the wooden floorboards. 

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_"A change in the weather."_

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The burn was nothing compared to the painful way her chest caved in as sobs wrecked through her body. She felt like she was going to be sick as she choked on the mucus and bile webbing the narrow way of her throat. The salt of her tears stung the dried cuts on her face, and she clawed at the wall below the window, struggling to breathe. 

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When he jumped out of her window, he took all the air in the room with him and the walls started closing in her around her as black dots flickered in and out of the crevices of her vision. She couldn’t breathe, she _couldn’t fucking breathe_ even though the fucking windows were open, and she could _feel_ the breeze chilling her, chipping at her and the warmth of him that she could still feel on her lips – 

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It took three little words to undo her. Three fucking words that should have made her feel whole, should have made her feel warm, should have given her so much hope and happiness and love – 

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_"I was praying that you and me might end up together."_

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She slammed her palm against the wall and screamed. Screamed for him to come back. Screamed that she loved him too. Screamed for him and only him and only ever him and – 

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She couldn’t fucking breathe. She couldn’t fucking _breathe_. She couldn't fucking **BREATHE** – 

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_"It’s like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert."_

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Two pairs of arms wrapped themselves around her chest, pulling her away from the wall. Her screaming didn’t cease, and she flailed relentlessly in their iron embrace. She heard someone humming a familiar lullaby, but the sound was blurred and horribly distorted by the ear-piercing noises that tore themselves from her throat. Her head spun and those black dots that once flickered now stayed permanently, more joining them as she continued to thrash around. 

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Her back burned, her legs burned, her throat burned – hell, even her eyes burned as she sobbed. 

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“Come on, sweetheart,” she heard Sarah’s voice murmur to her as she was dragged up off of the floor and carried back to her bed, “Go back to sleep, now. Stop your crying and close your eyes. Just close your eyes, Vanessa.” 

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A cool hand swept back the hair that had fallen in front of her face and she recognized the blue eyes that stared down at her as belonging to Lisa, who gave her a smile that wobbled tearfully. 

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“It’s going to be okay, sweetie. You’ll be okay, just close your eyes and pretend it’s all a big dream.” 

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Vanessa recoiled from her, curling in on herself as she drowned out the sharp, painful gasps with her pillow. Her fingers fisted themselves up in the flannel shirt she wore, and she tugged the collar up to cover the lower half of her face, squeezing her eyes shut. 

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_"But I’m holding you closer than most ‘cause you are my heaven."_

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Somehow, it hurt worse to keep herself from crying out. Like her lungs couldn’t deal with the strain she put on them now that her sobs had nowhere to go. They wrecked through her chest and rebounded off the bone walls like her ribs were a prison and her heart was the punching bag for them to release all their anguish and agony on. 

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She felt the weight lift off of the bed and heard her door close shut, but she didn’t open her eyes. In fact, it was in that moment she felt that she didn’t have to try so hard to keep them shut. Her eyelids were heavy as they fell, and her sharp cries trailed off as she succumbed to the heaviness of sleep. 

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_"You are my heaven."_

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\- 

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#### ISAAC LAHEY AND DEREK HALE

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As soon as Isaac jumped into the silver Camaro, Derek locked all the doors and drove out onto the street. 

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He managed to get a good look at his Beta before he jumped in. Isaac’s eyes were red rimmed and glassy, and there was a little hitch in his breathe, hints that he had been crying or at least been close to it when he jumped out of Vanessa’s window a minute ago. It was what was Derek saw flash in his Beta’s eyes, though, that really gave the kid away. 

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Anguish, of the likes that Derek knew intimately. 

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_Wish I could say I warned you, kid, but this was something I couldn't even prepare myself for._

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When they were halfway up Vanessa’s street, Isaac wiped his nose and sniffed bitterly, “Is locking the doors _really_ necessary?” 

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Derek took his eyes off the road for a brief second to raise his eyebrow at the boy and asked, “Are you trying to tell me that you _don’t_ want to jump out of this moving car and go back there right now?” 

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Isaac glared at him and turned away, leaning his chin against his fisted hand as he mumbled, “Of course I do.” 

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Isaac wanted nothing **more** than to run back up the street, climb up the ladder the O’Connor’s usually had sitting beside the roof, climb into his girlfriend’s room and wrap his arms around her, whispering promises on how he would never let her go. But the fact that he was daydreaming about doing those things instead of actually doing them spoke volumes on how much those metaphorical promises were worth. Especially when he already made one tonight – one that he fucking regretted almost as soon as he said the words ‘I promise’. 

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“Then yeah, the doors are necessary. In fact, I’m probably going to have set up a security system in the Den now.” 

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Isaac whipped his head around to shoot Derek a wide-eyed look, “You’re _joking_.” 

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“No, I’m not. I don’t trust that you won’t sneak out and run all the way to her house in the dead of night. You’ve done it before, you’ll at least _try_ to do it again,” Derek nodded determinedly, “Vanessa will be the first thought in your head when you wake up and when you go to sleep from now on. If you feel threatened or even just agitated, you'll want to go to her.” 

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_Who says that wasn't the way it was from the start?_

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“I promised Sarah,” Isaac insisted to Derek, who muffled a grin at his Beta’s defensive tone, “I made that promise to her – I made it so that Vanessa would be safe.” 

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“So you _weren’t_ thinking of all the ways you were going to see Vanessa in secret?” Derek asked as he gave Isaac a skeptical side-eyed glance. Derek was right to be suspicious. Before his Alpha started talking about installing security cameras and resorting to locking car doors, Isaac _had_ been thinking of all the ways he could still see Vanessa without them both getting caught. _Especially_ after what just happened in her bedroom. 

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Don’t get the wrong idea. When Isaac promised her mother to stay away, you know, saying the words and looking all serious and steeling himself for putting some distance between him and Vanessa, he had every intention of staying away from her. He knew that if she kept throwing herself into their messes time and time again, she would keep getting hurt. 

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_Hell, Ness almost **died** on Thursday night. Several times in fact but that was before I could get there – _

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He didn’t realize he was growling until he saw Derek’s smirk. 

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“You were going to keep seeing her, weren’t you?” 

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Isaac gritted his teeth and snapped, “I was going to stay away but – “ 

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He thought it would be quick. He thought he would wait until she woke up, make sure she was going to be okay and then leave. But when she actually woke up and looked at him, looked at him with her shoulders collapsing in relief and her lips pulling up into that crooked grin of hers, he found himself rethinking every word he swore to Sarah. 

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\- 

#### EARLIER THAT NIGHT

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_“Vanessa got seriously hurt last night,” Sarah had said when he came down the stairs after carrying his unconscious girlfriend to her bed, “She has been lying to me – **you** have been lying to me and I won’t allow it to continue. None of it.”_

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_“Sarah I – I’m so sorry – “, he had started as he came to stand next to Derek._

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_The dark-haired woman held her hand up to silence him and fixed him with a firm look._

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_“I know you’re a good kid at heart, Isaac. I know you care very much about Vanessa, but I can’t allow her to continue risking her life like she has been doing for – for apparently just over **two** months now.”_

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_Isaac had ducked his head and nodded, his fingers fisting in the leather of his jacket, “I understand.”_

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_He heard Sarah sigh and looked up to her shaking her head, crossing her arms over her chest as she told him, “Believe me when I say that I wish it didn’t have to come to this. But you have to understand that my daughter’s safety comes first. And I don’t believe she will be safe surrounded by werewolves and hunters and fucking lizard creatures – “_

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_“Kanima,” Derek had corrected softly, the first word he had spoken since they arrived at the O’Connor house after Vanessa had been released from the hospital._

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_The glare Sarah levelled Derek with could have withered flowers in springtime and she would have started yelling then – fortunately for Isaac, that had started **after** he was safely upstairs in Vanessa’s bedroom – but Lisa put a hand on her wife’s shoulder and gave her a gentle, prompting look that seemed to stop her from unleashing hell onto the Alpha werewolf._

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_It had shocked Isaac how well Lisa had taken the news that werewolves and hunters existed, but he supposed that she probably didn’t suffer from the fear of actually seeing them all fight like Sarah and Melissa McCall had._

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_Actually, Isaac was pretty sure that Lisa O’Connor would take the world ending in stride and deal with it with the utmost grace and dignity._

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_All the fight had left Sarah at that one touch and she ran a tired hand through her dark hair and shook her head once more as she turned her attention back to Isaac._

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_“I don’t want her to go anywhere near this mess and I’m afraid that means not seeing you anymore.”_

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_Time seemed to slow down, and Isaac remembered feeling the faintest sensation of falling back before he had caught himself. His heart had started beating loudly, the blood roaring in his ears as something inside him wanted to scream. Scream that she couldn’t do that. Scream that **nothing** and **no one** could keep him away from Vanessa. Not after what happened at the police station._

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_“Despite my apprehension of your… **situation** , I don’t want you to think that this is a personal attack on **you** , Isaac. This also applies to Derek, to Boyd and Erica. Hell, I even told Scott and Stiles to stay away from her.”_

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_That had done nothing to calm him down and it was only the iron clad grip his Alpha had on his shoulder that kept him from running upstairs to where his girlfriend slept and curling around her so that they would have to physically rip them apart._

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_That was until Lisa had placed a tentative hand on his arm. It was a soft, gentle touch that made his anger pause in curiosity. He remembered cocking his head at the small woman, frowning when she gestured to his eyes. It had taken him a couple of moments to add up what Derek’s unrelenting grip and Sarah’s stiff posture meant and he immediately backed down._

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_“Sorry, I – I just – “ Isaac muttered, looking anywhere but at the dark haired woman across from him._

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_He would **never** lay a hand on Sarah or Lisa. They had done so much for him, treated him like he was their own son. He just – _

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_“I understand, Isaac. **Truly** , I do,” Sarah had begun after taking a shuddering breath and he **hated** hearing that sound, like she had been holding her breath waiting for a wild animal to attack, “I’m not doing this because of you. I’m doing this because of Matt and the – the **kanima** thing. I know you would never **intentionally** hurt my daughter, but your life will. Those **things** will. I’m doing this to keep her safe, something that I think you would understand and agree with. Am I wrong?”_

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_Isaac remembered how hard he clenched his jaw to keep from pointing out how Vanessa wouldn’t get hurt, not with him. He would protect her from all those things. But Vanessa was upstairs, lying in bed after spending a whole day in and out of consciousness after getting the wound on the back of her head stitched up. His girlfriend had been severely concussed from being thrown around by the kanima. He had been halfway across town, chained up. He wasn’t there to protect her when she got hurt._

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_So, he had stepped back and nodded, staring daggers at the floor as if it were to blame for the humungous guilt he felt._

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_“I understand.”_

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_He remembered thinking ‘I can stay away. I could do that. I would do it for Sarah, and for Vanessa. I’ll tell her that we were going on a break, that we just have to spend some time apart. Only until the hunters were taken care of. Then we could be together, when Beacon Hills would become a safe place for us to be together.’_

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_“ **Promise me**.”_

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_He stiffened and Derek’s hand squeezed his shoulder. He didn’t know if his Alpha had meant the gesture as a sign of reassurance, that he was there, that everything would be okay. It was more likely a prompt, a warning for him to go along with it. To make things easier on him, on Sarah, on Vanessa._

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_Isaac’s shoulders had slumped in defeat as he whispered back to the expectant woman, “I promise.”_

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\- 

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That conversation had hung heavy on Isaac’s shoulders as he climbed the steps to Vanessa’s bedroom, after Sarah said he could say his goodbyes to her when the girl woke up. It had sat on his chest as he made himself comfortable on the window seat, after turning on his girlfriend’s stereo so that soft music would play. He knew she didn’t like to go to sleep without music. Vanessa hated silence. She hated sleeping in the dark without some sort of background noise. It made her feel less alone. 

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His resolve wore down every second he watched her sleep, his breath leaving his lungs when the rise and fall of her chest would be disrupted, when she would toss and turn. He had been so, so determined to step away from her. 

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But then she woke up and he knew the exact moment because of her sharp inhale when she remembered what had transpired before she passed out. He had been determinedly looking out of the window, trying to stall so he could muster up the strength to look at her without _**looking**_ at her. To look at her and see the promise he made to her mother, to focus on the injury, the one she got because he _failed_ to be there for her. 

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But then she turned around and she turned on the light. 

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It was the look on her face when she realized that it was _him_ standing there, that it wasn’t the kanima or Gerard or some monster out to get her. It was just him. Just Isaac. 

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He had never had someone look at him like they were genuinely happy to see him. Not until Vanessa. 

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It was a hard thing to do, walking around with her in the room instead of being in the room _with_ her. Then again, he thought it was almost impossible for someone to be in the same room with Vanessa and not be with her in that room. 

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_Does that make sense? Probably not._

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He had himself believing that he was easing her into it. That he was being carefully distant and that it would be almost smooth to just keep her in the bed, kiss her goodbye and leave. But he should have known better from Vanessa, his Vanessa. Always worried about everyone and forgetting about herself. 

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Lunging out of bed like she did was a classic move of hers, one that had his heart leaping out of his chest in panic. Everything he told himself about distance vanished when he saw her stagger to her feet. One moment he was by the window seat and the next he was in front of her, holding her but not **holding** her. 

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He was mindful to keep a space between them but again, his Vanessa didn’t make it very easy. She never does what she’s told for one and almost ended up falling on her ass before he caught her. If she hadn’t been so focused on getting downstairs and doing ‘damage control’, he would have thought it was a clever ploy of hers to get him to hold her. 

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When she leaned in to him, he almost _**screamed**_ in frustration. He had to remind himself that she didn’t know what she was doing, that she didn’t know how conflicted he was. She didn’t know he was struggling to honor his promise to her mother, that he was holding on by _a fucking **thread**._

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That was, of course, until he told her. 

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Pure fucking ice, that’s what his girlfriend turned into. She turned around to face him and her eyes were _pure fucking ice_. Cold, not to him, but to what he was trying to tell her. She was so tiny, this girl who had stood before him with eyes that chilled with anger and unshed tears. Her dark brown hair that usually fell in soft waves down her back and shoulders was flat and lifeless and her face was painted with dark shadows, leaving it gaunt and bruised but she was still the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. 

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Even as she looked up at him like he had just destroyed her. 

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Vanessa, _being Vanessa_ , denied it. She tried to reassure him – _she_ tried to reassure **him** – that everything was going to be okay. That it wasn’t _his_ fault she got hurt. That she wasn’t going to let him go. That she wasn’t going to let him let her go. 

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Then she heard Derek leave out the front door and she walked out to confront her mothers and – 

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The window. It had been wide open. He knew she liked the cool breeze during the night. 

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The window was his only option because he couldn’t be there with her, arguing with her about keeping her safe or keeping her happy. Not when he would pick the former every single fucking time, even if a small part of him yearned for the latter. 

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With his luck, Isaac had been halfway out the window when she came back in, like a cyclone of ice. 

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She started talking about what she told him at the station, when he almost walked out on her to go after Matt for hurting her but then she reminded him. 

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_“If you leave me, I’ll **never** forgive you.”_

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It had been like a punch to the gut. He couldn’t have choked back the sob that left his throat even if he tried. But then she kept going and he just wanted to run away as she said, _“I changed my mind.”_

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She had brought his forehead to lean on hers when she whispered, _“I’ll forgive you, but **only** if you promise to come back.”_

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God, did he want to make that promise. It was a promise of maybe, of sometime, of possibility. That this wasn’t a break and more like a five minute pause. As long as she didn’t hate him, it would go by in a blink. 

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_“Come back to me,”_ she had whispered, her lips a hair breaths away and he couldn’t ignore her any longer. When their lips crashed together, he knew that he belonged there and always would. To hell with Sarah, to Derek, to Lisa. To fucking everybody and everything. 

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He would **always** belong with Vanessa O’Connor and nothing and no one would ever change that. 

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He should have known the words that slipped out of his mouth next would just be another wound she would have to recover from, a steadily growing list that only helped prove her mother’s argument on why he should stay away. 

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But it was true and he couldn’t keep it to himself any longer. 

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_“I love you.”_

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Her eyes had blown wide, her soft lips fell open in a silent gasp and he wanted to stay with her like that, to keep touching her and to kiss that beautifully shocked face into oblivion. But then he saw Sarah and Lisa, hovering in the doorway. When he met the former’s eyes and she nodded at him pleadingly, he felt his stomach lurch. He forced himself to turn to stone. 

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He jumped out before she could recover but he heard her crying out for him the entire way down. Crying out for the promise he wasn’t sure he could make to her. 

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\- 

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It felt like he left a part of himself, back in Vanessa’s bedroom. His thoughts were too loud and they didn’t make sense and his heart thumped almost painfully in his chest. 

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Everybody talked about heartache like it was a metaphysical sensation. The word got so overused that the real sensation of genuine heartache became something like an exaggeration to Isaac. Like a word to describe something you couldn’t actually describe. 

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That was until he found himself driving away from her, with his heart on fire. It was like getting heart burn. A cramp in the heart. Like pulling a muscle, the big one in his chest. Basically, it fucking _**hurt**_. 

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“It won’t be like this forever,” Derek murmured quietly from beside him, “Trying to keep that girl from doing what she wants is a lost cause. Sarah and Lisa will realize that. They’re good people.” 

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“They are,” Isaac muttered back absent-mindedly. 

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“They just need time to recover from what they learnt.” 

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“Yeah.” 

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“We have bigger problems,” Derek announced. 

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Isaac felt his shoulders slump and the exhaustion that weighed on them made the Alpha weary of the own burden he carried. They hadn’t slept since the fight at the police station. They hadn’t managed to get down to the Den either, but Deaton had promised to take care of Erica and Boyd until he and Isaac returned. 

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“Of course, we do,” Isaac muttered bitterly. 

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“The fight isn’t over, and we need to prepare the others for the one that really matters.” 

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“Let me guess,” the boy drawled, his head dropping back to brush against the headrest, “Hunters.” 

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“That’s right,” Derek nodded, his lips pulled into a thin line as he clenched his fingers around the steering wheel, “And what’s worse is that I think Scott’s in league with them.”

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs featured:  
> \- "A Drop In The Ocean" by Ron Pope.  
> \- Title is the same title as Jordin Spark's "No Air".


	40. On My Own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanessa had a plan. 
> 
> Admittingly, things were royally fucked right now but she could fix it. 
> 
> Sure, her boyfriend _might_ have implied that they were taking a small, tinsy-tiny break from their relationship and her best friends since birth might _not_ be allowed to get within five feet of her but she could fix it. 
> 
> After all, she had a plan. 
> 
> Except, Vanessa was _pretty sure_ that Sarah knew what she was up to, what with the warning glares she was shooting her from the driver’s seat every five minutes. It was nerve wracking, especially since Vanessa had taken up the cold shoulder to her mother. 
> 
> She lasted a whole weekend, a brand-new record for her. 
> 
> Then again, Sarah had never made her boyfriend break up with nor had she ever forbidden her two best friends from calling her. Or coming over. Or driving by to check up. 
> 
> Basically, Sarah had never ruined her life before so it was kind of a new experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I know after last chapter, everybody was pretty much ruined by the absolute heartache that was Isaac and Vanessa's break up. Rest assured they will get back together but I thought this was the most realistic and dramatic route to take their relationship, certainly in light of Sarah and Lisa finding out about the supernatural. 
> 
> However, this gives me the chance to focus on other friendships and dynamics in the show that I thought deserved some attention. There will be moments between Isaac and Vanessa so please keep an eye out and let me know what you thought overall.
> 
> Thirdly, I'm posting this on Christmas as a little gift for you all so I hope you appreciate it x
> 
> Looking forward to hearing from you all and I'm sending you a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holidays from Aus!

####  April 3rd, Monday || 5 days since the last Full Moon || 6 days until the Championship Games || 

Vanessa had a plan. 

Admittingly, things were royally fucked right now but she could fix it. 

Sure, her boyfriend _might_ have implied that they were taking a small, tinsy-tiny break from their relationship and her best friends since birth might _not_ be allowed to get within five feet of her but she could fix it. 

After all, she had a plan. 

Except, Vanessa was _pretty sure_ that Sarah knew what she was up to, what with the warning glares she was shooting her from the driver’s seat every five minutes. Sure, it was only a fifteen-minute drive to school but **_still_**. It was nerve wracking, especially since Vanessa had taken up the cold shoulder to her mother. 

She lasted a whole weekend, a brand-new record for her. From the moment she woke up and remembered her boyfriend telling her about the promise he made to her mother to the moment Sarah insisted that she was driving her to school that morning. Usually she wouldn’t last past dinner time on the first day. 

Then again, Sarah had never made her boyfriend break up with nor had she ever forbidden her two best friends from calling her. Or coming over. Or driving by to check up. 

Basically, Sarah had never ruined her life before so it was kind of a new experience. 

The dark-haired woman in question cast another troubled look over her shoulder at her, ruining her every five minute pattern she had taken up since they had gotten into the car, and she sighed. 

“ **Look** , I know you’re pissed at me right now but you gotta see things from my side, kid. I _just_ found out that my daughter has been hiding the fact that she has been dating a **_werewolf_** for at least a month now. A kid **literally** helped bring into this world is _also_ a werewolf. The dude I chased down last month and who was then brought over to our house for dinner is – oh, what was he again? Oh yeah, a **WEREWOLF!** ” 

_Laying it on thick with the sarcasm, Mom._

But Sarah didn’t stop there. 

“Not to mention, I had to discover this while they were all fighting in front of me! Fighting with some sort of deformed lizard creature that is apparent _Jackson fucking Whittemore_ I – I just **can’t** ,” the woman shook her head, meeting her daughter’s stormy look in the review mirror as she pointed out, “You kept all of it a secret from me, from Lisa, for a month?! **TWO** months? You’ve been doing _god knows what_ with **werewolves** and **hunters** and scary lizard **things** _this whole time_ and you never once thought ‘hey, _maybe_ Sarah **should** know about this?’ It’s one thing to leave Chief outta the loop but your own mother?!” 

Vanessa shifted, slinging one leg over a knee. She rested her head against the window, turning away so that Sarah couldn’t see how her words ate her. It’s not like Vanessa _wanted_ to lie to her parents. There were many times where she thought, ‘hey, Sarah **should** know about this shit’, but when it came around to actually _telling_ her, the words always stopped on the tip of her tongue. 

Sure, what kind of daughter lies to their mothers about battling psycho lizard creatures and manic Alpha werewolves and bloodthirsty evil incarnate hunters? But what kind of daughter actually _tells_ their mothers that? 

Let me tell you, one who doesn’t fear being locked up in a mental asylum for the rest of their life. 

Besides, shouldn’t the fact that she had werewolves for friends be enough reassurance that she was protected in these endeavors? Sure, she sometimes managed to get a bit busted up, but they’ve always kept her alive! That should definently count for something! 

So, Vanessa kept staring straight out the window and Sarah let out another frustrated sigh. 

“I’m just – I’m trying to keep you safe. That’s – That’s all I ever want for you, kid, is to be safe,” Sarah murmured softly, sounding torn up enough that Vanessa risked a glance up at the review mirror and met her mother’s dark eyes, “It was bad enough finding you in the forest when we were looking for Lydia Martin and in the cells standing over the body of an unconscious man but – to find out that all those times you slipped over or have been stuck in the middle of an ‘accident’ at school, you were actually facing down these _monsters_ – it – it **terrifies** me. Not so much about you facing these things but the fact that you _kept it_ from us. That me and Lisa didn’t know and that we didn’t help you.” 

“Is that what you think you’re doing now? _Helping me?_ ” Vanessa asked coldly. 

Sarah seemed conflicted between sighing in relief and snapping at her tone. The woman gritted her teeth and let out a little laugh, a scary and borderline hysterical sound that spoke to volumes how shaken she was by everything that had happened lately. 

“Oh, so you're speaking to me now?” 

Vanessa shrugged, dismissing her question to instead point out, “I don’t see how telling Isaac and my friends that they can't hang out with me helps me at all.” 

Sarah’s eyes flickered from the road to the review mirror and she sat up, jutting out her chin. 

“I don’t want you involved in that sort of shit.” 

“You were okay with me involving myself with Isaac’s home situation!” 

“That was _different_.” 

“How was _that_ different – “ 

“ **BECAUSE THAT WAS WHEN HE WAS HUMAN!** ” Sarah exclaimed loudly over her, slamming her hand against the steering wheel, her eyes wide and suspiciously glassy as they met hers in the review mirror, “ **HE WAS HUMAN WHEN HIS FATHER WAS BEATING HIM, HIS FATHER WAS A HUMAN WHO WAS BEATING HIM AND THAT WAS CLEARLY A HUMAN SITUATION!** ” 

Vanessa’s froze in her seat, her mouth gaping in shock at her mother’s outburst. She hadn’t seen Sarah this angry since she told her and Lisa that she smoked weed back in Junior High. In fact, Sarah looked more crazed now than she did back then. 

This, however, didn’t stop Vanessa from opening her mouth and pushing on. 

“So – _what_? Just because Isaac’s a werewolf now makes him different? _**What?**_ I can’t be in his life because he doesn’t have to face _human_ problems like getting beat by his dad? **WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!** ” 

“No, you can’t be in his life because _he_ won’t be the only one getting hurt. You will too. Except you’re not some creature with super healing or whatever special powers they have so if you get hurt, you could **_DIE!_** ” 

“They could die too!” 

“Well, you’re my kid and hell, if I keep letting you risk your life!” 

Vanessa threw herself back into the chair with a grunt, wincing slightly when her bruised head nudged the head rest. The stitches had been taken out yesterday, but the makings of a bump had taken place around the injury she received from being thrown into the Sheriff’s desk last Thursday. When she glared up at the review mirror once more, she saw her mother’s eyes darkened and knew that the wound only served to prove Sarah right. 

Cursing Matt and Jackson to hell and back, Vanessa shifted in her seat and waited for the ache to die down. She gingerly leaned her head against the window and narrowed her eyes at the trees flying by, turning her focus back onto her plan, a little masterpiece she liked to call the **FUCK EVERYBODY WHO HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY BREAKUP, I’M GETTING HIM BACK.**

_It had a catchy title_ , Vanessa smiled as she turned up the volume on her music once more. 

When the car finally pulled into the school a few minutes later, she was just about ready to ditch the tense atmosphere her mother had created when suddenly Sarah clicked open her seatbelt and made to open her car door. 

Vanessa straightened up, panic setting into the stiff ridges of her bones as she questioned, “ _Er_ – what’re you doing?” 

Sarah looked over her shoulder with a puzzled smile, “I’m going to work?” 

Vanessa blinked, “You’re a deputy.” 

“Yeah. I’m a deputy currently investigating a minor who committed a series of infractions including but not limited to holding people hostage at gunpoint – one of them being an officer of the law - attempted murder, **actual** murder and destruction of evidence. Now that Matt’s dead and the evidence linking him to the serial killings are destroyed, we need to start checking everything about this kid from his school locker to his school records to his medical records – anything that can coincide with the narrative of why he committed those murders.” 

Probably should have mentioned that. It took a backseat with Vanessa's newfound breakup taking shotgun but apparently, the police fished Matt Daehler’s body out of the river on Friday night, just a few miles south of the police station. In addition to that, Chief got reinstated as Sheriff once more, considering it was _his_ evidence that identified Matt as the murderer. Out of the bits and pieces Vanessa gathered from eavesdropping on Sarah’s phone calls, all they needed now to put this mess behind them was to get some official evidence to put in a folder and to call it case solved. 

She highly doubted that it would be as easy as that but she couldn’t deny that a small part of her was relieved that was the limit to Sarah and Chief’s involvement in that sort of business. Unfortunately, with the way things were looking up, it seemed to be the end of Vanessa's involvement as well. 

She was not happy about the latter. 

But like she said, she had a plan. 

However, _like she said_ , Sarah seemed to be three steps ahead. 

Her mother continued with opening the door, even going so far to climb out and make a bee line to jog to the other side of the car to open her door. Vanessa sat there for a moment, staring up at her mother like she grew three heads before whispering, “You _can’t_ be serious.” 

“Oh, Nessa. You know I don’t joke about work stuff,” Sarah shook her head, her dark eyes glittering, “Now, come on. I’m not holding the door open for you forever now!” 

Vanessa crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, “That’s okay with me. Shut the door and I’ll take myself home.” 

“Don’t be a brat, kid. Get out of the car and go to school.” 

Vanessa glared up at Sarah and sighed, reluctantly hopping out to joined her mother. Sarah smiled victoriously and she wanted nothing more than to wipe the woman’s smirk off her face by doing something profoundly mundane and getting killed anyway. 

That was kind of a dark thought though so Vanessa settled for going back to the cold shoulder as she waited for her mother to open the boot so she could get her backpack and get away from her, hopefully to get somewhere where she could set plan **FUCK EVERYBODY WHO HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY BREAKUP, I’M GETTING HIM BACK** in motion. 

“You look very pretty today,” Sarah remarked, causing the girl behind her to frown in surprise, “I like your skirt – it’s a bit short though.” 

Vanessa swallowed before muttering, “It’s spring. Things are getting warmer. And besides, I’ve worn skirts like this for weeks now. You never had a problem with it before.” 

Sarah shrugged, “I don’t have a problem with it. Are you wearing it for someone in particular?” 

For five brief seconds, Vanessa’s cool composure cracked, and she froze up. 

_Sarah fucking knows. Sarah fucking knows. Sarah fucking knows. Sarah fucking **KNOWS**._

Her mother’s lips twitched up into that annoying smirk again as she commented, “It’s a great idea, I admit. It’s something that I would’ve tried at your age but when you grow up, you realize that stunts like that – well, they never end well.” 

Vanessa gaped at Sarah. _How fucking dare_ she try to suggest that this was a ‘stunt’! She wouldn’t have to resort to this shit if Sarah and Lisa hadn’t fucking ruined everything by making Isaac break up with her! This was as much as a stunt as her feelings for Isaac were a scheme, and Sarah **knew** that. 

Vanessa couldn’t hold back the venom in her voice as she leaned in to whisper fiercely, “ _Just so you know_ , keeping me away from my friends is _just as_ dangerous as letting me see them. Especially **here**.” 

Sarah heard the edge in her daughter’s tone and stepped back, frowning deeply. 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Remember the hunters? Well, they’re _just as_ bad as werewolves. Possibly even **worse** ,” Vanessa shrugged on her backpack and slammed her car door shut, brushing past Sarah as she told her, “The biggest and baddest of them all happens to be my principal!” 

She heard her mother inhale sharply at that and felt a twinge of guilt settle into her for making Sarah scared. 

It was probably that guilt that convinced her to turn around and warn her, “Don’t fall for his docile old man act because he has **literally** cut people like Scott and Isaac in half. He **stabbed** Scott _in front of me_ and threatened to do the same to anyone who would get in his way. Guess who is bound to be on that list by now?” 

“ _Vanessa_ – “ 

“Oh, but don’t worry, Mom,” Vanessa cooed back at her sarcastically, walking backwards with her hands up in the universal ‘chill’ sign, “Just because I’ve stopped hanging out with werewolves, he’s _totally_ not going to care about lil’ ole me anymore. It’s not like he’s a **snake** and will use any leverage he can against the wolves, especially one so _**vulnerable**_ and _**unprotected**_.” 

“ **VANESSA** – “ 

“Have a good day at work, Mom! Hope I’ll survive it so you can tell me all about how it went!” Vanessa waved behind her as she walked across the car park, aware of some of the stares she was getting from her peers. 

With everything that had happened over the past few months, if somebody is pulling up in a cop car, something must be going down in Beacon Hills. 

\- 

Plan **FUCK EVERYBODY WHO HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY BREAKUP, I’M GETTING HIM BACK** was officially a go as soon as Vanessa O’Connor walked through the double doors of Beacon Hills High, blasting “If I Can’t Have You” by Kelly Clarkson on her phone so loud that any werewolf within a mile could hear it through her earphones. 

**Phase 1:** _Pretend you didn’t just get dumped._

That was easy, considering she was still telling herself that they were on a ‘break’. She had spent all morning in the bathroom removing any evidence of how she had cried herself to sleep the entire weekend, the makeup wipes piling up in the sink before she deemed her face no longer looking like it got skinned by her tears. 

She had applied eyeliner in sharp, precise lines to make her blue eyes seem more vibrant, further emphasized by three strokes of mascara. She had settled for applying strawberry vanilla lip balm, with a layer of pink tinted lip gloss. She practiced smiling in the mirror, trying to perfect the look of mischief she wore as she currently walked down the halls of the high school, now a curling smirk that made more than a few people do a double take. 

So far, so good. She _looked_ good. She looked better than good and if she could just keep this up, phase two would be implemented in 3...2...1. 

_Ahhh. There he is._

Vanessa could practically see the hairs stand up on his neck as Isaac Lahey stood up straighter, slamming his locker door close and looking everywhere but at her. Erica was leaning on the locker to his right, receiving death glares from a group of girls across the hall from them, one of them presumably the owner of said locker. Boyd towered over them both and had to bite back a smile as he caught sight of the familiar brunette over the heads of the Monday morning crowd. 

Vanessa gave the dark skinned boy a manic grin before making her way to her own locker, just down the hall from where the three werewolves were gathered and couldn’t help the slight bounce in her step as she silently declared phase two a go. 

**Phase 2:** _Make him regret dumping you._

Too fucking easy. She had that in the bag as soon as he jumped out of her window last night. 

Now all she needed from him was for him to act like it. 

\- 

#### ISAAC LAHEY

Isaac Lahey knew he was screwed. He knew it as soon as **she** walked through the doors, the scent of that sugary sweet body spray and vanilla honey body wash wafting his senses like a goddamn drug. Even amidst the usual Monday morning rush of the student body, he could hear her heart beat fluttering with what could only be anticipation. 

He knew that little pitter patter of excitement would spell his doom. He fucking knew it. 

Just like he knew his girlfriend – if he even had the right to call her that anymore – wouldn’t just roll over and let his words and a few promises to her parents stop her from doing whatever the hell she wanted. It was one of the things he loved most about her, one of the things he fell in love with back in Junior High. 

Funny how the things you love come to be one of the things that would drive you to the brink of insanity. Erica sure thought so, what with the muffled giggles she was failing miserably to hide behind her hand. 

Isaac cast a glare at his pack mate and growled under his breathe, “ **Stop it!** You’re only encouraging her.” 

Erica shrugged her shoulders and fluttered her lashes innocently, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“ _Sure_ ,” Isaac gritted out sarcastically, shutting his eyes tight in frustration, “Just – don’t make this any harder on me than it already is.” 

“By the looks of things, Lahey, you’ve got enough of that without me adding onto it,” Erica said, her lips pulling up at the corners as she jutted her chin in the direction of somewhere behind him. 

He adamantly refused to follow her line of sight and counted to ten silently in his head when Erica murmured, “Oh, _come on_ , Isaac. Just one little peek! She’s not even looking so this is your chance to look your fill and move on.” 

He felt the air whoosh out of his chest at the suggestion. Erica had a point. Looking _surely_ wouldn’t be too much of a breach of the promise he made to Sarah. Having a look never did anyone any harm. What’s one look? 

Against his better judgement – because you’re an idiot if you think he was listening to the _intelligent_ part of his brain – Isaac tilted his head to his right and let his eyes drift over to where he knew Vanessa’s locker was. And he instantly regretted it. 

He knew his girlfriend was kind of well-known for her penchant of wearing skirts that breached a hundred and one different uniform codes. Ever since Junior High when she developed the figure, she had shown up to school in various outfits, all with shorts skirts that accented her long, toned legs. 

He used to think it was the best part of his day, seeing Vanessa O’Connor walking down the halls in one of her borderline miniskirts. 

Now it may as well be hell on earth. 

Today, she had decided to screw with his brain with a red plaid pleated skirt that was currently hitched up to her upper thighs as she stood on her tippy toes to reach her books from the top of her locker. Once upon a time – meaning just a few days ago – he wouldn’t have hesitated to cross the hall and help her out. 

Now, he could do nothing but watch in torment as that little skirt of hers floated around her thighs as she used her nails to bring the textbook closer to the edge of the shelf, making it easier for her to grab it and pull it down. 

He watched in mixed relief and disappointment as Vanessa tugged down her skirt and fixed up the tight black t-shirt, tugging on the sleeves of the flannel she wore over it. 

Isaac’s eyes narrowed on the flannel that hung from her small shoulders, too big to fit her properly. In fact, it was too big to be anything Vanessa owned and he realized why a moment later when she lifted up the collars to her chin and inhaled deeply. 

It was his fucking flannel, the one Sarah changed her into when she came out of the hospital. The same one she was wearing Thursday night, when he broke up with her. 

Oh, she was playing dirty, she was. 

And she fucking knew it, judging from the way her sapphire eyes glittered mischievously at him from down the hall. 

_Fuck, she caught me staring._

Isaac spun away from her, his jaw snapping in anger at being caught. He saw Boyd and Erica with their heads close together, their shoulders shaking in amusement. 

“What happened to ‘she’s not even looking, Issac’, _**huh?!**_ ” he growled, causing Erica’s giggles to grow even more uncontrollable, so much so that she had to lean into Boyd’s side to stand up. 

“I said a _peek_ , Lahey! I swear to God I could - I could hear _Duran Duran_ playing in the background for the whole _five minutes_ you were staring her down!” Erica pointed out between wheezes, kind of losing it once more when she mentioned the artist of the hit song ‘Hungry Like The Wolf’. 

Boyd barked out laughing behind her while Isaac stared at them both in dismay. 

“So much for pack,” he muttered bitterly. 

Erica’s brow softened, and while she still wore a big, shit eating grin, she was sincere when she told him, “Hey, we’re in the same boat as you here. It’s not like either one of us can go talk to her either.” 

“We are **not** in the same boat,” Isaac scoffed, shaking his head as he turned to take a quick glance over his shoulder, “We are not even in the same part of the ocean.” 

He watched as Vanessa’s small figure disappeared through the crowd, her shoulders pulled closer to her chest than they were before. Isaac frowned. She could put on a show for Erica and Boyd and the rest of the student body, but he knew that despite her determination, Vanessa was still hurt by what happened Tuesday night. 

Not just about him, either. He could tell by the smirks Erica was sending over his shoulder that her and the brunette missed talking to each other too. He had to remember that Erica, Scott and Stiles were a big part of her life way before she even looked his way. 

While he might have been sitting across from her in Art class, stealing glances at her from around his easel, Erica was sitting right beside her the entire time. Erica was the one she walked down the hallways with, the one who she giggled in homeroom with behind his and Harris’ back. Erica and Vanessa had been attached to the hip since freshmen year. So, they might not be in the same boat, but they were all still stranded in the ocean. 

He turned around to apologize to Erica but she stopped him with a hand to the shoulder. 

“ _Listen_ , Lahey. I **get** it. Yeah, I’m not her m– “ Isaac gave her a look that made her quickly amend her words, “I’m not her _boyfriend_ or anything but she _is_ my best friend. And it hurts me that I can’t go over and give her a hug, and tease you while she laughs at my jokes or that I can’t have sleepovers with her or – “ 

Erica’s words got caught in her throat and her brown eyes started to shine suspiciously. The blonde hastily wiped under her eyes, causing Isaac to immediately feel like the biggest douche bag in the world for making it all about him. 

“I miss her too. And this is hard for all of us. Nessa is – Nessa’s pack. Not just because of what she means to you but what she means to _all of us_. She’s the reason we’re all here together,” Erica looked back at Boyd, the dark-skinned boy nodding in agreement before she continued, “And while we want her to be here with us, you and Derek made a promise. Derek gave us orders. Which means we follow them. For his sake, your sake and hers.” 

Isaac swallowed hard and he nodded, “I know.” 

Erica smiled sadly, her shoulders falling as she sighed, “We’re doing this for her.” 

“I know.” 

\- 

#### VANESSA O'CONNOR

After seeing her friends gathered around Isaac’s locker, hiding secretive grins and eyes flittering with knowledge of what exactly she was trying to pull off, she had felt a rush of confidence fill her. If Erica and Boyd were amused to the point of laughing behind Isaac’s back, she must be doing something right. 

She had turned away for just one second to get her books, struggling more than usual to reach them from the top shelf, before she turned back to find Isaac’s eyes on her. 

Mind you, this was the same Isaac who had been avoiding looking in her direction since she walked down the hall, but it seemed that red **was** the right way to go. 

That, and Erica definently egged him on, judging by the smirk on the blonde’s fire engine red lips. 

_That is why Erica is my best friend. She’s reliable, she’s supportive and she knows when I’m on a mission._

After giving Isaac a little wink to show that she totally did not mind the looks he was giving her – or more accurately, the little red plaid number she picked out this morning – her eyes travelled over his shoulder to meet Erica’s. And boy, did she ever appreciate having her around. 

Erica had sent her a wicked grin, giving her a thumbs up when Isaac momentarily froze at being caught staring. Vanessa had let out a little laugh and bowed dramatically. For a moment, the two girl’s had just stared at each other with twin smiles that promised trouble. Until they remembered why exactly they were smiling from across the hall instead of right next to each other. 

Vanessa’s lips thinned into a tight line and her eyes dulled at the reminder. Erica, having sensed the change, lost her smirk and could do nothing but give her best friend a weak smile to show her that she felt as lost as she did. 

Vanessa had watched as Boyd placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulder in comfort before turning around, walking down the hall without any of the confidence she walked in with. It was as if, for a moment, she was back in her room with the thoughts of loneliness dragging her under and under again. 

Growing up, Scott and Stiles were her only friends. She wouldn’t call the people she used to hang out with in Junior High ‘friends’, not when she compared them to the two boys. It wasn’t until she met Erica that she found out what it was like to hang out with someone who didn’t hang out to get high or who she didn’t remember taking baths with when they were little. 

Erica was new but she was genuine at the same time. She was the first girl friend that she had gotten to know, and along the way, she had begun to see her like a sister, like the way she saw Scott and Stiles as brothers. Erica was there since freshmen year, every lunch, every free period, every day. 

Then slowly, her circle of friends grew. She met Allison, and Isaac and Boyd. She got to know Lydia, know her beyond the HBIC that had ruled her schooling since third grade. She had Derek, who, despite his brooding and his snappy comments, looked out for her since day one. 

And just as she got used to having all these people in her life, people who she felt were bound together with all the shit they went through together, they were all taken away. First, Allison by Gerard and his fucking manipulative plans and then the rest of them. In fact, the only one she was allowed to even be seen with was probably Lydia. 

And Lydia…well after what happened at the girl’s birthday party, Vanessa didn’t feel like spending time with her anytime soon. With everything that had happened at the police station, she had forgotten about the fiasco at the Martin House and the things she had hallucinated after drinking that poisoned punch. Things that were soon featured in the many nightmares she suffered from over the weekend. 

God, she deserved a fucking break. She didn’t think it could get any worse. 

But Harris had a way of proving her wrong. 

As soon as she walked into homeroom, late for the first time since Gerard became principal, she knew she was in for hell. Her head swung from Harris, smirking from where he stood at the chalkboard, to Isaac sitting in front of her designated seat with a look that spoke volumes of how he wanted to be anywhere **but** _there_ and finally settling on Erica, who sulked in her chair just a bit behind Vanessa’s. 

Erica attempted to smile but it froze on her lips as her eyes flickered to someone behind Vanessa and the brunette knew that Harris had followed her to her desk, ready to dish out this morning’s dose of ‘torture Vanessa out of revenge for blackmailing me for an entire month’. Cue the evil laughter. 

“Miss O’Connor,” the teacher began in his usual bored drawl, “I might have been lenient towards your tardiness at the beginning of the semester but that ends today. Detention. This afternoon.” 

Vanessa let out a deep breathe before turning around, her voice regretful as she informed him, “I’m _so_ sorry, Mr. Harris, but I can’t this afternoon. I have an appointment with the guidance counselor. You know how it is these days, all that pent-up teenage angst. Dangerous if it’s left unchecked.” 

“Is that so?” Harris cocked a brow, not believing in her bullshit in the least, “No matter. Perhaps Tuesday afternoon?” 

The brunette’s lips twitched at the familiar sarcasm and she thought to herself, _of course, if I can rely on anything to continue it would be Harris’ habit of being an utter prick first thing in the morning._

Vanessa played along and bent down to put her bag under her desk, her face twisted up in faux mourning as she snapped her fingers and hissed, “ _Damn!_ I’m busy then too. But I’m free on Wednesday? Is that good for you, sir?” 

A few people snickered from the back of the room and Vanessa felt her confidence renewed. She sent a lazy smirk over her shoulder. It was about high time these assholes got their heads out of their asses and remembered how fun it was to be laughing _with_ Vanessa O’Connor rather than laughing _at_ her. 

Harris, unfortunately, seemed doomed to have his head stuck up his ass forever. He did not find anything remotely funny about her mocking him and his lips thinned to a white line (he barely had any lips in the first place, so it wasn’t a real loss) and he snapped. 

“And how about Friday? _Hm_? How about… _ **all of next week?**_ Or should I talk to Principal Argent about making it a **suspension**?” 

From her desk, Vanessa saw Isaac straighten up, his shoulders tensing as his hands came to grab his desk in a white-knuckled grip. A low growl filled the room and Harris’ head jerked back, his eyes growing wide in horror as he tried to place where the sound could be coming from. 

Vanessa, internally cursed Harris for his big mouth, did the one thing she could think of. 

“Isaac,” she whispered under her breath, “Isaac, _breathe_.” 

The growling only grew louder and some of the other kids in the room had started to whisper, leaning forward to see who was making the strange noise. Vanessa saw a hint of claw glinting under Isaac’s desk and felt her heart beat faster in worry. 

“Isaac, Isaac babe. I need you to **calm down**. I’m okay, nothing is going to happen to me,” she hissed out her reassurances, hoping that the claws were the only thing that shifted, “Breathe for me, _please_. Just breathe for me. In and out.” 

After a long, tense moment, she finally saw Isaac’s shoulders rise and fall in time to her instructions and she smiled in relief, “That’s it! You’re doing so well, sweetie. Now, let **me** handle this. We wouldn’t want you to break any of your **promises** now, would we?” 

She couldn’t help the jab and it didn’t miss either. She saw Isaac’s head jerk up at her words and watched as he glanced to the side to give her a half-hearted glare, one that couldn’t hide the hurt he felt. 

Vanessa swallowed back her guilt and turned back to Harris, who frowned as he asked the class, “Does anyone know where that noise was coming from?” 

Quick as always, Erica piped up, “I think it was the AC, sir. It’s broken or something.” 

Harris shook his head, looking anything but convinced but before he could question it more, Vanessa stood up and said, “I’m sorry for my tardiness, Mr. Harris, and for speaking back. It won’t be necessary to talk to Principal Argent, I’ll do the Wednesday and Friday detentions.” 

Momentarily blindsided by the fact that Vanessa O’Connor caved in for the first time since he became her homeroom teacher, Harris’ lips curled back into a sneer and he walked back to his desk, just as the bell rang. 

Vanessa gave Erica a thankful smile on her way out, determinedly not looking at Isaac when she walked past him to get to the door. She felt his eyes burning into her back the entire way, and her own eyes filled up with tears at the reminder of the jab she had sent his way just a few minutes ago. 

She couldn’t help it. And he couldn’t expect her to be nice about it. She had a plan. 

And she was determined to see it through, even if she had to play dirty to do it. 

\- 

She had English first period and unfortunately that meant her suffering wasn’t over yet. In fact, this class would be even more difficult to get through. The reasons happened to be seated in their usual spots on the far-right side of the classroom when she walked in. 

Her designated seat? Right behind them. 

Vanessa took a deep breath before making her way over to her desk, ignoring the looks the two boys exchanged as she took her seat. Resting her chin in her hand, she looked out the window to escape the puppy dog faces her best friends were sending her and felt a piece of paper brush her hand. 

When she glanced down at it, she saw words scribbled on it and sighed. 

_They never know when to quit. And that is why they’re my best friends._

With a faint smile, she uncrumpled the rolled up piece of paper and read it with eager eyes. 

**_Hey, I know we told Sarah that we’d leave you alone, but we wanted to make sure you were alright after Thursday night. So…. are you? - Scott_**

Vanessa’s eyes softened as she read Scott’s note and she looked up, meeting his eyes from where he sat in the aisle across from Stiles. She gave him a reassuring smile before nodding, looking back down to write a note back. 

**_I’m fine. Pissed off, but fine. Why the hell did you make that promise to Sarah?! You know that I’m literally the only reason you’re alive. With me on the bench, you two will be dead by the end of the week. Tops._** _**PS. That’s me being generous.**_

She crumpled up her note and nudged Stiles’ chair, muffling her smirk when the boy jumped in his seat. Checking to see if the teacher had finished marking the role, she pressed the note into his shoulder and waited for him to take it. 

When he did, he opened it up and read it with a scoff before handing it over to Scott. Vanessa laid her head on her desk and watched her best friend read her note with a dopey grin that matched her own and raised a brow at him when he sent her a dry look over his shoulder. 

Shaking his head, Scott bent over his desk to write a note back and she watched him as he crumpled it up and tossed it to Stiles, who caught it and chucked it back onto her desk without even looking away from the front. 

“Showoffs,” Vanessa chuckled under her breathe, shaking her head at their antics before unscrewing the note and reading it. 

**_She didn’t give us a choice. You know Sarah, she can be…scary. Besides, she wasn’t wrong, Nessie. You’re always getting hurt because of us. Until we figure out what to do with the hunters, it’s safer if you’re on the bench. Not to mention we still have Jackson to take care of. Now that Matt's dead, we have no clue where to go from here on out._** _**PS. And before you ask, no you are not helping out.**_ _**PPS. We won’t die. We’ll stick with Derek and his pack.**_

Vanessa blinked at the note. Safer on the _bench_?! _Safer on the fucking bench?!_ He can’t be fucking serious! Letting out a rather loud and unladylike snort, Vanessa snatched her pen from the table and wrote her reply, tossing it over Stiles' shoulder angrily and leaning back in her chair with a huff. 

Scott cast a confused look over his shoulder at her before grabbing the note from Stiles, uncrumpling the piece of paper slowly as if the words were a snake ready to leap out at him. 

_**I swear, talking to you is like talking to Sarah all over again! Just because I’m not allowed to hang out with you guys, doesn’t mean Gerard has magically forgotten that we’re friends! If anything, I’m in more danger now than I was before BECAUSE we don’t hang out.**_ _**PS. What are you planning to do with Jackson? If I can't be involved in all these half-assed plans of yours, I'd still like to be informed of their progress!**_ _**PPS. Also good luck dealing with the hunters what with your ex-girlfriend basically fucking leading them now.**_

Scott inhaled sharply, frantically passing the note to Stiles to read. Vanessa smirked triumphantly at the alarmed looks on their faces, glad that someone was finally realizing how badly they all fucked up with making those little promises without letting her read over the fine print. 

_I swear to God, I’m the only one with any brains half of the fucking time!_ , Vanessa thought as she blew a raspberry. 

Meanwhile, Stiles had picked up his own pen and jotted down his own reply before flicking the piece of paper back over his shoulder onto her desk. 

Vanessa raised a brow at his and picked it up to read. 

_**Okay, so you might have a point. We’ll get Derek to get his pack to shadow you. DISCREETLY so that Sarah doesn’t grab her shotgun and hunt US down – so don’t get any ideas about hooking up with your boyfriend. We want you safe, but we want to stay alive too. – Stiles.**_ _**PS. We'll let you know about the plan when we actually come up with it. - Scott.**_ _**PPS. Girlfriend. She is still my girlfriend. – Scott.**_

Feeling like she both won and lost a battle, Vanessa nodded once before writing her reply. 

_**Of course, I have a point. I always have a point.**_ _**Also, fuck you about the boyfriend comment.**_ _**PS. I might have a plan. Did any of you consider that?! No, of course not. Because just like my ex-boyfriend - be mindful to add the prefix - you have all lost you freakin' minds and forgotten how I am the mastermind for most of the plans we come up with! I can't believe it took Sarah flashing her shotgun for you all to fold like cards!**_ _**PPS. Do all girlfriends threaten to shoot their boyfriend?**_

She passed the paper to Stiles, who rolled his eyes so hard that she could practically see them glaring back at her, before he passed the note to Scott. Scott, to his credit, didn’t roll his eyes but sighed heavily as if she was being petulant. And maybe she was. Still, it’s rude to act like it right in front of her! 

When the note found it’s way back onto her desk, it was so crumpled that she had to squint to read Scott’s reply.

 _ **It wasn't the shotgun, Ness. Sarah had a point. You're always getting injured in those plans of yours. And I hate to say it, but barely any of them work out!**_ _**PS. Just...wait until all of this stuff blows over. And trust me, for once please. Because maybe, just maybe, you're not the only one with a plan.**_ _**PPS. That’s not the point. It’s not her fault. She’s grieving and she doesn’t know what she’s doing.**_

Vanessa reared back from the note and shot Scott an incredulous look. 

She loved him like a brother but sometimes he could be so thick – 

Ripping out a new page from her book, Vanessa scrawled her reply, pouring all her frustration out on the piece of paper before throwing it directly onto Scott’s desk. 

Stiles turned to give her a hurt look, offended that she didn’t pass it to him to read first and she ignored it, keeping her glare on Scott as her best friend unfolded it and read it’s contents with a frown. 

_**Ignoring everything else - but she’s GRIEVING?! Grieving is when someone is sad. That girl is out for blood and for some reason, it’s specifically DEREK’S blood. LOOK you weren’t there when Gerard gave that speech at Victoria’s funeral. He was talking about all wolves. But for some reason, Allison has it out for Derek specifically. Something is seriously wrong and it's not grief!**_ _PS. Not to mention the fact that she didn’t even show up to class today!_

Scott stared at the note for several moments before he put the note face down on his desk, his jaw clenched tight with the uncomfortable thought she introduced to him. 

Vanessa pouted slightly, feeling a bit off put that he wasn’t going to reply but she understood. 

In fact, now that she mentioned it, Allison’s newfound attitude did beg the question of: why Derek? Why him out of all the wolves in Beacon Hills? Why Derek and not Scott? 

Why not Erica, Isaac and Boyd. She did say that she would spare them if they didn’t get in her way. 

Which means it’s definently only Derek she’s after. 

The question is why. Before her mother’s death, we were all on the same side. Allison had spent time with the pack and she had seen how much Derek cared for them. It didn’t make sense for that to change because of her mother’s death. Derek and his pack had nothing to do with that – 

_Wait –_

____

_Hold the fuck up._

____

Vanessa stared down at her open notebook and picked up her pen, jotting down dot points and key dates. 

____

On the first dot point was Friday, March 17th. The day of the Rave and the last time Victoria Argent was seen alive. The last Vanessa saw her was when she had given the woman a strong dose of ketamine in order to stop her from killing Derek and Scott. They had left her in the warehouse, but she was most definently alive. Vanessa had even stopped to check her pulse! 

____

On the second dot point was that following Sunday, two days later. The day Allison gave Sarah her statement about Matt Daehler. When Allison was dropped off at Vanessa’s that same night, she told them that her mother had sent her father a text about how she was leaving for a few days to check out an incident on the border. 

____

Vanessa glanced up from her book with a frown. So, Chris didn’t see her off? Who was the last person to see her alive? If he didn’t see her at home, recovering from the ketamine, where did she go when she woke up? A whole day had passed before Chris got the text and according to Allison, her mom left without saying goodbye. 

____

What happened to Victoria Argent after the Rave? And why on earth does Allison think Derek is involved? 

____

In the background, the bell rang loudly signaling the end of first period. Scott picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder, walking out without looking back at her. 

____

Stiles glanced at his two best friends, wondering what the hell Vanessa put in that last note that pissed Scott off that much before sighing, murmuring that he would see her later before following the other boy out. 

____

Vanessa barely blinked an eye, settling back into her chair with a foreboding feeling sinking into the bottom of her stomach as questions piled up and answers sat just beyond her reach. Matt Daehler might be dead but that didn’t mean her problems were solved. And with her banned from speaking to her friends, it looked like she would be figuring this one out all on her own. 

____

\- 

____

_That didn’t seem to last long_ , Vanessa thought as she spied Erica’s bouncy curls over the fire escape leading up to the roof. 

____

She had taken advantage of her second period Study Hall and snuck off to do some more thinking on the whole Victoria Argent thing when her best friend suddenly climbed over the rusted railing and landed on the ground a few feet away from where she was sitting. 

____

“I swear to God that thing is five minutes away from breaking! I’m not joking, it was groaning the whole time, louder and more fussier than my grandmother before my parents carted her off to that retirement home in Mexico!” Erica complained as she wandered over, her signature fire engine smirk forming on her lips. 

____

Vanessa laughed and sprung to her feet, jogging over and enveloping the blonde girl into her arms, “What the hell are you doing?!” 

____

“On the record, the library was driving me nuts. Off the record, missing my best friend and knowing she was probably sitting alone, pathetic and sad was driving me nuts.” 

____

“Oh, well, in that case,” Vanessa shook her head with a grin, “Just making sure you realize that Sarah will throw a fit if she see’s me talking with any of you.” 

____

“ _Puh-lease_ , that woman **loves** me. This will all blow over once she realizes how much she is overreacting and then everything will go back to the way things used to be,” Erica waved her off, taking a seat on the ground next to the spot Vanessa vacated. 

____

Affectionately rolling her eyes at her best friend, Vanessa sat down beside her with a sigh and reminded her, “Because she is _totally_ going to ignore the fact that her daughter spent almost three months sneaking around with werewolves, getting threatened by hunters and getting thrown around by kanimas. All on top of lying about it.” 

____

“Why am I getting the sense that it’s the _last_ part that she’s **really** pissed about?” 

____

“Because it _is_ ,” Vanessa groaned, her head settling on the cement wall behind her, “Her and Lisa would have probably been chill with the whole thing if I had told them from the start!” 

____

“Told them about the **werewolves** , the **hunters** and the **kanimas**? Really now?” Erica repeated with a raised brow. 

____

Vanessa gave her a look before correcting herself, “Okay, maybe not ‘chill’ but they wouldn’t have done _this_!” 

____

The brunette gestured between them both, “This is _**way worse**_ than anything they would have come up with three months ago when all this shit started.” 

____

“Yeah but think about what was happening three months ago. Derek was a fugitive, his sister was the first victim in the ‘animal attacks’ making him look like the sketchiest dude to be hanging out with at that time – I can’t for the life of me figure out how he got Lisa and Sarah to believe that bullshit story – “ Erica shook her head in disbelief, a gesture Vanessa mirrored with equal incredulity. 

____

“Tell me about it,” the brunette grunted beside her, shifting on the rough concrete into a more comfortable position. 

____

“ _And_ ,” the blonde continued, “Not to mention it turned out that his psycho comatose uncle was the one who was behind all the animal attack – I just – I just don’t see how in any universe Sarah and Lisa would have been _chill_ about any of what you’ve been up to in the last three months.” 

____

“The point being?” Vanessa replied drily. 

____

“ _The point being_ ,” Erica gave her a look at her tone that softened upon seeing the hopelessness in her friend’s eyes, “that you couldn’t have changed the outcome. Even if you had told them three months ago, they would have still reacted like this because you’re their daughter and as much as I hate to admit it, what they’ve done, banning you from hanging out with us, from getting yourself involved with all of this, makes sense - from their perspective.” 

____

“But surely they can’t ignore how it’s putting me in even **more** danger! When I was around you lot, I had the whole pack backing me up! Now, I’m a sitting duck! She may as well have waved a big fucking flag saying, ‘If there’s anyone you wanna go after right now, Gerard, it’s us!’” 

____

Erica winced, patting her friend’s shoulder as she agreed, “I’ll admit, me and the boys were a bit worried about that too. We decided that we’re going to do rotations outside your house. Keeping our distance to the woods, of course, but keeping you safe as well.” 

____

Vanessa raised an eyebrow at that before peeking over the roof at the lacrosse field below. She squinted at the number of red jerseys with white padding sprinting across the field and glanced back at her Erica with a dubious look. 

____

“You’re gonna send my _ex-boyfriend_ to do rotations around my house?” 

____

“Are you _seriously_ calling him your ex-boyfriend now?” 

____

Vanessa shrugged petulantly, lowering herself into a cross-legged position. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned her nose up into the air as she pointed out, “He _did_ break up with me.” 

____

“He told you that Sarah banned him from seeing you anymore,” Erica corrected with an exhausted eye roll, “He didn’t break up with you.” 

____

The brunette pulled a face and nodded, “ _Uh_ , yeah he did. _**But**_ – “ 

____

Erica caught the mischievous look on her best friend’s face and immediately started shaking her head, “ **No**. Absolutely not.” 

____

__Vanessa turned around to look back over at the lacrosse field, her fingers tapping conspiratorially on the concrete wall under her as she thought out loud, “_ If_ you guys are doing rotations around the house – “ 

Erica interrupted, “Keeping our distance. Keeping our **promises** – “ 

Vanessa spoke over her loudly, “And he’s going to be doing one of those rotations – “ 

“You know, to your mom. Who has a _shotgun_ – “ 

“And he’s going to be all protective and stuff – “ Vanessa smiled softly down at the field her ‘ex-boyfriend’ was currently playing on, tapping her finger against her lips with an evil smile on her face. 

“Not to mention Derek – he’s our Alpha, Ness, _come on_!” 

“This is perfect!” Vanessa clapped her hands with a squeal, sitting back down on her bottom and turning to Erica with a grin, “Alright, I approve of the whole rotations thing.” 

Erica gave her a deadpan look, “That whole display just convinced me of all the reasons why it is suddenly a bad idea.” 

The brunette tilted her head at her best friend and raised a brow, “Did it really or are you actually pretty excited to see my plan in action?” 

The blonde held up her façade for a moment before a large grin broke out over her face, her brown eyes glittering excitedly as she let out a huge breath. 

“I’ve been waiting the whole morning to find out! I’m in, whatever it is, I don’t care about being shot. **I. AM. IN!** ” 

The two girls exploded in giggles, with the brunette slinging her arm around Erica’s shoulders and pulling her in for a semi-hug as she sighed happily, “Ah, the girls are back at it again! I missed you. Have I told you that? I fucking missed you.” 

“I missed you more. After the full moon, I wanted nothing more than to run over to yours and tell you all about it over breakfast but than Derek came back to the Den with the news of what happened and how banged up you were – “ 

“And how royally fucked everything became,” Vanessa added. 

“And that,” Erica nodded in agreement, leaning her head on the other girl’s shoulder, “I was going to text you - believe me, as thankful as I am to Derek, I was going to go ‘hell with whatever the fuck you promised’ but than I saw Isaac, and he was really torn up – “ 

“Let’s not go into detail about how torn up he was,” the brunette interrupted her, her face pinched in pain, “Trust me, it was nothing compared to how I felt when he literally told me he loved me and then jumped out of my bedroom window – all of this happening after he told me we couldn’t be together, BTW.” 

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so – “ Erica paused, her mouth hanging midair as she finally process what Vanessa had just revealed and she screamed, “ **HOLD UP! HE _WHAT?!_** ” 

“Uh yeah, the kid **literally** went on and on about the promise he made to my mother, about how he got me hurt, about how we couldn’t see each other for those two reasons combined and **THEN** he told me _he loved me_. Like, for the first time too!” 

“ **OH, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE JOKING!** ” Erica cried, throwing her arm over her face in second-hand embarrassment, “ **WHAT WAS HE THINKING!** ” 

“ **I KNOW!** ” Vanessa yelled out, throwing her arms up in frustration, “ **GOD, AND THE WORST SONG WAS PLAYING ON THE RADIO AT THE TIME –** “ 

\- 

As Vanessa and Erica ranted about the former’s breakup from the roof, a certain ex-boyfriend and his packmate sat on the bleachers below, listening to every single word with a stormy look on his face. 

“Man,” Boyd whistled with an amused twist to his lips, “She is not pulling any punches.” 

“ **No, she isn’t** ,” Isaac growled, his eyes flaring gold as he took a swig of his water bottle. 

Boyd stared at his friend for a long moment before questioning, “Did you really – “ 

“ **Yes and I regret it** ,” the other boy cut him off with a snarl, slamming his helmet onto his head and running off onto the field as Coach blew his whistle for the tenth practice game to start. 

Boyd glanced back up at the roof with a wry grin. 

“You really know how to stir him up, V,” Boyd muttered to himself before putting on his own mouthguard and helmet and joining the rest of his teammates on the field. 

\- 

On top of the roof again, Vanessa was giving Erica all the details about how the breakup went down, with the blonde lying sprawled on the brunette lap as the latter went on a tirade about the ‘I love you’ moment that both simultaneously made and ruined her entire weekend. 

“And then – then I _literally_ tell him that I will forgive him, that I’ll take him back when the time comes and he just – he just tells me he loves me. He doesn’t say ‘I promise’, he says, ‘I love you’ and jumps out of my fucking bedroom window like he’s Edward fucking Cullen or some shit!” 

“Was that before or after he kissed you?” Erica questioned, playing around with the open notebook on the ground beside Vanessa’s knees. 

“ _Does it matter?!_ ” Vanessa scoffed, shaking her head. 

Erica hummed before shrugging it off, “I guess not.” 

“That’s what I thought,” the brunette nodded before adding as an afterthought, “Was a hell of a kiss though, I’ll give him that.” 

“Wait a sec,” Erica held up her hand, hauling herself up so that she was sitting up straight. In her hands was the notebook that Vanessa had been writing all her thoughts in, specifically her thoughts about Victoria Argent’s death. 

“What the hell is all this?” 

Vanessa’s lips formed an ‘o’ and she internally cursed herself for not putting the book away sooner. 

Sighing with the realization that ‘figuring out this one on her own’ was officially over, she rolled her shoulders and explained, “So, here’s the thing, we might have another problem on our hands that could either help us or get us into even more trouble.” 

Erica looked up from the notebook with her blonde brows furrowed in suspicion. 

“How much more trouble are we talking here?” 

Vanessa sighed before admitting, “I’m talking ‘arrow in the back and a bullet in the head’ kind of trouble.” 

The blonde’s answering groan reverberated around the rooftop and the werewolves on the lacrosse field below shook their head at the sudden noise before continuing on with their game, none the wiser of what was going to be revealed on the rooftop above.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QNA:  
> 1.What do you think about Vanessa's attitude this chapter? Hate it? Love it?  
> 2.What did you think of Isaac's perspective?  
> 3.Is anyone actually surprised that Scott, Stiles and Erica are already bending the 'no talking, no hanging out' rule already?  
> 4.Did you guys enjoy the tension between Scott and Vanessa this chapter?  
> 5.Who likes the idea of Erica and Vanessa teaming up once again?  
> 6.If you guys could pick one person you would like Erica to team up with, who would it be?  
> 7.What do you think of Vanessa (and now Erica) undertaking the investigation of Victoria Argent's murder by themselves?  
> 8.If Isaac and Vanessa were to get together before the finale, how do you predict it would happen?  
> 9.What did you enjoy about the chapter?  
> 10\. What did you hate about the chapter?  
> 11\. What did you find most interesting about the chapter?  
> 12 And what are your predictions for next chapter?


	41. ||Authors Message||

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> QUICK MESSAGE FOR MY INVESTED READERS

Hey guys! So for those that don't know, I have an outline for the plot that goes as far as season 6 of Teen Wolf and possibly even further. As I draw closer to the end of Part 2 and start thinking about working out the kinks for Part 3, I thought that I'm going to need a lot of help to make this story as entertaining and fullfilling for you as possible. From spelling mistakes to making sure I'm putting in a little something for everyone to enjoy, there is a lot of things that I, as one person, can miss.

So I'm looking for a Beta who is as invested in seeing this story play out as I am in writing it and for someone who has a lot of interesting ideas that want to be shared. I will be happy to credit any and all ideas and incorporate it into the story as I see fit to compliment the plot that I have already set out.

If anyone is interested, please contact me through my tumblr. My user is in my AO3 profile!

Thanks again and I hope to hear back from you!


	42. Promises, Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The brunette turned in her chair and leaned in, asking quietly, “Alright, listen, would you be able to do me a favor?”
> 
> The boy beside her reared back and shook his head, “Nope. Not in this realm. I thought we settled this in English? I like my head on my shoulders, not blown to bits after a kiss from Sarah’s shotgun.”
> 
> “Oh, shut up,” Vanessa rolled her eyes at his dramatics, “If any of you seriously believe that Sarah would shoot you for doing me a fucking favor, then you’re all idiots and you’re definitely going to die spending a week without my help.”
> 
> “Okay, so we might not, like, get _shot_ or anything but your favors are usually of the life-threatening variety. So, either way, I’m dead.”
> 
> “Look, this one should be easy. I just need you to get the file your father has on Victoria Argent’s case.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I just want to thank my invested readers for sticking by this fic. You're comments are literally the reason why I keep writing so thank you so much!  
> I want to thank my new Betas, a_gir1_has_n0_name and Shadowhunter_21, for taking time out of their schedules to look over this new chapter and help me with editing and feedback. I'm really excited to work with them in the future, especially as we get closer to the finale of Part 2 'Fight for Me' and start looking at Part 3 of this OC series!  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please, don't be shy! Leave a comment because, you might not realize it, but you do inspire me to write up the next chapter and to include things you guys were looking forward to!

Vanessa’s leg shook impatiently from where she sat outside the guidance counselor’s office, her boots tapping against the tiled floor and causing a soft echo to ricochet down the empty halls of the school. 

The frantic tapping had only increased the longer she was made to wait outside as Ms. Morell finished up her appointment and it was only when a teacher had peered outside her classroom, hissing at her that she was disrupting her class, that Vanessa realized how loud her nervous tick had gotten. 

Cursing softly under her breath, Vanessa threw one leg over the other and turned sideways in her chair, her eyes darting around the hall. It was currently third period, so she knew the likelihood of someone coming across her before she went in for her appointment was slim. Still, she didn’t want to rely on her luck, seeing as how shitty it had been lately. 

It wasn’t that she was ashamed to be seen outside the guidance counselor’s office. No, she and therapy were _long_ overdue – almost everyone she met could agree with her on that one – but she was still antsy about being discovered by the wrong type of people. 

Take the principal of the fucking school, for instance. 

She could practically see the sneer on the old man’s face if he came across her, all alone and sitting outside the guidance counselor’s office of all places. For a skilled hunter like Gerard, she could only imagine how that might come across to him. Showing a blatant weakness, both physical and emotional, like she was now, only begged for trouble. 

With what she had possibly discovered about him today, trouble was the last thing she wanted. 

It had only been half an hour ago when she left Erica on the roof after she had spent the entirety of their study hall going over her insane and yet not-so-insane theory on Victoria Argent’s ‘animal attack’. 

_“Well,” Erica had sighed, shaking her head at the scattered notes laid out around them, “This is a whole new kind of fuckery, isn’t it?”_

_“I thought Matt Daehler was as fucked as they came but this dude…” Vanessa had admitted as she stared at her notebook where she had her thoughts jotted down, a messy timeline of the events starting from the Rave all the way to what went down at the police station, “This dude is one sick fuck.”_

_“Are you sure about this?” the blonde checked again, pointing to the pieces of paper, “Because if you're right – “_

_“I know, but it makes too much sense for me to be wrong,” Vanessa reasoned, tapping her notebook insistently, “We’re onto something here, something that feels like it could fit into this giant ass jig-saw puzzle if only we had the last few missing pieces.”_

_“And that is?”_

_Vanessa ran a hand through her dark tresses, pulling at the high pony to relieve the growing ache that had been building in the roots of her hair during their brainstorm session of the unthinkable, “A copy of the autopsy report for one.”_

_“How’re we gonna get that?”_

_“ **We’re** not getting anything,” Vanessa chuckled humorlessly, pulling out her phone to take pictures of the notes in the book on her lap before she sent them to Erica, “You are.”_

_“ **Me?** ” Erica shrieked incredulously._

_“Yeah, you!” Vanessa pointed at her, “I’m on lockdown right now. Straight to school and straight back home, courtesy of Derek and Sarah’s little ‘pact’. That leaves you.”_

_“How the hell am I supposed to get into the hospital, get into the morgue and get the autopsy **without** getting caught?!”_

_Vanessa patted the blonde’s shoulder in sympathy, her lips turned up into a gentle smile as she told her, “Welcome to the perks of supernatural drama, my friend. The illegal perks.”_

\- 

The bell for third period had rang out shortly after her announcement and Vanessa had packed up her things quickly, knowing that if she weren’t seated in front of the guidance counselor’s office by five to twelve, Sarah would quite literally hunt her down. 

So, they went their separate ways, the brunette going back down the staircase that led up to the roof while the blonde swung herself over the railing of the fire escape, but not without groaning over her shoulder about how she ‘ _so did not sign up for this_ ’. 

Vanessa wanted to point out for the hundredth time that day that she would much rather be doing illegal shit like sneaking into the fucking morgue and stealing the autopsy report on her friend’s dead mom than having to go straight home after school and not leave the house until quarter to eight the next day but something stopped her. 

Maybe it was the conversation with Erica or maybe it was her guilty conscience but Vanessa decided that she might have been a bit too petty with the whole ‘ _blah blah I’m suffering and I’m the only one_ ’. 

She wasn’t dumb. She knew full well that when everyone made that promise to Sarah – yes, _including_ Isaac – that maybe, _just maybe_ , they didn’t actually **want** to make the promise. Most probably did make the promise because of Sarah’s penchant for owning a shotgun and knowing how to use it. The rest probably thought that it **would** be safer and easier to reassure Sarah and Lisa’s fears and to keep her on the bench for the time being, at least until their other problems were dealt with. 

But, fuck, she was hurt, she was lonely and she didn’t do well with expressing either of those two emotions in a healthy capacity. It only served to remind her of past mistakes and past feelings and past her – who she despised with a passion. And it was that reminder of the past that made her angry all over again about why Sarah and Lisa, two people who should know better about cutting her off from her friends, did the one thing that they knew would send her off the tracks. 

But then her anger would cool and that stinking empathy would kick in to remind her that Sarah and Lisa found out about her involvement with all the supernatural drama in Beacon Hills in literally the _worst way possible_. 

Seeing your kid unconscious on the floor of the police station bleeding from a head wound was one thing. The fact that it was the same station where a psycho serial killer with a handgun and an oversized pet lizard was currently holding hostages and shooting people and battling wolf-like creatures that vaguely resembled an ex-fugitive, the kid you practically raised and your daughter’s boyfriend was a whole **_other_** situation. 

Vanessa had a feeling it was the latter that worried Sarah more. With 'worried' being a **major** understatement. 

And shit, Isaac – well, Isaac was going through his second full moon that night. His emotions were heightened, and it probably didn’t help that he would have been able to smell the blood in her hair or hear her heart beating like crazy from how scared she was. He probably woke up a few seconds after she passed out on the floor of the station and immediately had a heart attack. 

So, of course, with Sarah twisting his arm and guilt-tripping him like crazy, he probably thought he was doing what he thought was best for her. And swallowing her pride and ignoring the blatant disregard about her thoughts on the matter, she understood why he made that promise. And when she thought back to how he looked at her this morning, she could tell that when he 'brokeup' with her, he wasn’t really done with her. 

Breaking up with her was an obligation, a duty as someone who…well someone who loved her. 

_Shit_ , Vanessa’s eyes widened at the reminder as it truly sank in, causing her to straighten up in her chair outside the guidance counselor’s office in shock, _he fucking **loves** me_. 

_Oh my fucking god, he loves me. And when I told him to make me that promise –_

_Oh my fucking god, he loves me. And I’m a dumbass._

_Holy shit. I’m a fucking dumbass._

A door creaked open and voices reached her ears, snapping her out of her crisis as two figures walked out of the office she sat in front of. 

“Thank you for coming to see me, Stiles. If you would like, you can always schedule another appointment with me in the future,” Miss Morrell suggested to the younger boy, sounding more like a prompt rather than a question of maybe. 

Vanessa’s head whipped up at the boy’s name and her eyes met the stunned gaze of her best friend, who did a double-take upon seeing her there. Miss Morrell also looked down at her, her dark gaze unfathomable and her smile carefully pleasant as she greeted her. 

“Vanessa? If I’m not mistaken, you’re a little early for your appointment.” 

The brunette cleared her throat and switched legs so that she wasn’t tapping her foot against the tiles anymore and shrugged nonchalantly, “Well, I didn’t have anything better to do so…” 

“Oh, so this is your free period? Study hall?” 

“No, technically it’s World History but I’m already top of the class so, I don’t think I have anything to worry about.” 

Stiles began coughing behind his hand and she could have sworn she heard the words ‘show off’ but she really couldn’t hear over all that phlegm. 

Nevertheless, she shot her friend a glare, one that he returned with an innocent look that was just wrong on a face as guilty-looking as Stiles. 

Miss Morrell’s eyes glittered in amusement as she nodded between them before clasping her hands together and saying, “Well, I have to make a call real quick so I’ll call you in when that’s done, okay?” 

Vanessa nodded and watched as the guidance counselor spun on her heel and walked back into her office, waiting until the door was fully closed behind her before letting out a deep sigh. 

“So,” she began, looking up at her best friend, “Did Chief make an appointment for you?” 

“Did Sarah make an appointment for you?” Stiles retorted with a scoff, taking a seat beside her. 

Vanessa hummed, “Stupid question. Kind of proud of us. Three months of this shit and it’s the first time we’re being sent to see a therapist.” 

“ _Guidance counselor_ ,” Stiles corrected, his brow arched incredulously, “Literally the bottom of the food chain when it comes to ‘getting help’. Because dealing with dead bodies is in any way similar to getting your head shoved down a toilet.” 

Vanessa screwed up her face at that and asked, “Does that seriously happen around here?” 

Stiles threw her a look that roughly translated to ‘is that seriously a concern to you right now?’ but she ignored it in favor of looking over her shoulder to check to see if the door was still closed. 

The brunette turned in her chair and leaned in, asking quietly, “Alright, listen, would you be able to do me a favor?” 

The boy beside her reared back and shook his head, “Nope. Not in this realm. I thought we settled this in English? I like my head on my shoulders, not blown to bits after a kiss from Sarah’s shotgun.” 

“Oh, shut up,” Vanessa rolled her eyes at his dramatics, “If any of you seriously believe that Sarah would shoot you for doing me a fucking favor, then you’re all idiots and you’re definitely going to die spending a week without my help.” 

“Okay, so we might not, like, get _shot_ or anything but your favors are usually of the life-threatening variety. So, either way, I’m dead.” 

“Look, this one should be easy. I just need you to get the file your father has on Victoria Argent’s case.” 

Stiles narrowed his eyes at her, folding his arms over his chest as he asked suspiciously, “Why do you want that?” 

“Stiles, you’re one of the smartest people I know. You can’t seriously believe that Victoria Argent’s ‘animal attack’ was legit, right?” 

The boy next to her frowned, cocking his head at her as he said, “I thought she might have been one of Matt’s handiworks.” 

“Why would he have Jackson kill Victoria?” 

“To get back at Allison? I don’t know, the dude was psychotic.” 

Vanessa raised a brow, giving him a deadpan look before she explained, “Look, even psychos have a reason for doing what they do. The craziest fucking person has a reason for doing what they do. So, what reason would Matt have for killing Victoria? If he really wanted to get back at Allison, why didn’t he use her mother’s death to taunt her?” 

Stiles was quiet for a while, the question obviously bugging him and Vanessa took that as her cue to clue him in. 

“Listen,” she leaned in close to whisper, “Don’t you think it’s strange how Allison’s mother dies and Gerard suddenly takes her under his wing? Then Allison suddenly develops a massive hate-on for Derek? She tried to murder him at the station, she didn’t give two shits about Matt. She was gunning for Derek the whole time. Why? If Matt killed Victoria, why weren’t the Argent’s going after him? If Matt killed Victoria, why wasn’t she included in his little villain monologue?” 

“ _You know_ he would have thrown that in our faces. _You know_ the Argents would have gone after him if they thought he killed one of their own. So, why was Allison under the impression that Derek was number one priority that night?” 

Stiles’ eyes widened at the insinuation and he let out a groan, throwing his head back into his chair as he said out loud, “They think Derek killed her.” 

Vanessa nodded, settling back into her chair, “They think Derek killed her.” 

“ _Shit_ ,” Stiles said softly under his breath, glancing at her as he asked, “Who else knows?” 

“Just me. With everything that’s been happening with Matt, I think everybody thought Allison was just lashing out at everyone out of grief. Not to mention, the hunters haven’t been our top priority,” Vanessa sighed, leaning on her hand before adding absentmindedly, “Oh, and Erica. I told her at lunch.” 

“Hold up,” Stiles screwed up his face as he turned fully to look her in the eyes as he exclaimed incredulously, “You told _Werewolf Barbie_ about this before me?!” 

“Erica’s one of my best friends too!” Vanessa defended before pointing out pettily, “Besides, I _tried_ to talk to Scott about it but he walked off. And you walked right off after him.” 

“Because I thought you were talking about the other thing. You know, you’re whole ‘pissed because you’re grounded from any and all supernatural relevant activities’ and stuff.” 

“Partially but I was making a point about Allison at the end that basically went in one ear and out the other,” Vanessa blew a raspberry, muttering to herself, “ _Per fucking usual_.” 

“To be fair, I only passed the note. I got to write maybe two lines and then that was me done so don’t press the teenage angst onto me,” Stiles held up his hands in a mocking surrender. 

“ _Teenage angst?!_ ” Vanessa exclaimed, spinning in her seat and preparing to give him one hell of a verbal whoop-ass when the door opened again, and Miss Morrell peaked her head around with a smile. 

“Vanessa? You can come in now.” 

The brunette plastered on a fake smile, nodding once before leaning down to get her bag from underneath her seat before hissing at Stiles, “Look, just get the case file on Victoria. Erica’s going to try to get the autopsy report. If we can get copies of those, we might be able to get them to the Deaton and see if he can identify them as kanima, werewolf or other.” 

“ _Other?!_ ” Stiles shrieked after her as she got up to walk into the guidance counselor’s office, “Wait, Ness, what do you mean _other_?!” 

Vanessa ignored him and swept into Miss Morrell’s office, shutting the door behind her and effectively muffling Stiles’ shrieking. 

Miss Morrell gave her a small smile, her hooded, dark eyes sliding to the door in amusement as she asked, “Everything alright?” 

Vanessa shrugged, taking a seat in the chair across from the woman, “Just Stiles being Stiles.” 

“Well, if that is his usual behavior then it can be safe to assume that he’s doing well?” 

The girl clicked her tongue and rolled her shoulders back before replying, “I wouldn’t know.” 

“Oh. I thought you and Stiles were good friends.” 

“We are.” 

“Why would you not know if your good friend was doing well or not?” 

Vanessa narrowed her eyes before replied in a clipped tone, “These days, I find it’s hard to tell what a person is truly thinking or feeling.” 

The room grew tense at the obvious edge in her worlds. Miss Morrell’s lips smile didn’t falter but her brow raised a hairline. 

You see, Vanessa had a lot of things on her mind. There seemed to be a new problem every five fucking minutes. But, that didn’t mean that the old problems went away. Nor did it mean that she forgot that they were there, waiting silently in her peripheral. Like the newfound problem that sprung up the night of the Rave, after they all regrouped at Deaton’s clinic. 

It was a problem that she hadn’t told anyone about, mostly because of all the other shit they were dealing with but also because she herself didn’t know what to make of it. 

_The night at the Rave, after they all regrouped at Deaton's clinic, Vanessa went to follow Deaton, wanting to know if he’d like help cleaning up before they took Scott home but froze at the unmistakable sound of Miss Morell’s voice ringing out from the waiting room._

_“I can't decide if I admire your sentimentality or despise it.”_

_Deaton took a long moment to reply and when he did, it only sought to puzzle the eavesdropping brunette even more._

_“If I want your opinion, I’ll make an appointment with the guidance office.”_

_“From the state of things, I think you could use a little guidance,” Morell responded with a bit of clip to her words, enough to match Deaton’s disdain in equality, “Are you really going to leave all of this up to a couple of kids?”_

_“They’re more capable than you think,” Deaton defended._

_“And are you going to tell them what’s coming?” Morell asked, tone turning with dark satisfaction._

_“They’ve got enough to worry about,” Deaton told her after a long moment before the sound of the tap rang out._

Back in her office, Miss Morrell hummed to herself before asking, “Do you often feel this way about your friends?” 

“I often feel this way about a lot of people,” Vanessa picked at the dirt under her fingernails as she stared down the guidance counselor, her head tilting in mock thought, “What do you think of that, Miss Morrell?” 

The woman behind the desk seemed to consider her carefully before replying, “I think that mistrust can deeply damage your relationships with others, as well as harm your abilities to create new relationships.” 

“What if my mistrust of others is rightly founded?” Vanessa retorted, raising a brow at her, “What if distrusting others will help me avoid further harm to myself and those I care about in the future?” 

“How so?” 

“For example,” the brunette waved her hand nonchalantly, “Say if you were, oh, I don’t know, someone who knew a whole lot more than she let on about serious matters that could potentially put a bunch of people in danger, me being one of them, and just didn’t tell us. I think that _personally_ the trust that I and many others have in you would be very hurt by learning this.” 

Miss Morrell hummed again, her dark gaze narrowing at the teenage girl across from her. 

“Is this a hypothetical scenario or – “ 

“ _Cut the shit_ ,” Vanessa snapped, causing the teacher to raise her brow at her audacity, “I know that you know all about Scott, Derek, and every other fucking thing that goes bump in the night. I know that you’re connected to Deaton in someway and that there something is coming and you don’t think we’re prepared for it.” 

Vanessa leaned forward with her hands clasped together, staring down the guidance counselor as she sneered, “Well, let me set you straight. Whether they’re friend, foe or fucking Santa Clause, if they’re gonna come here and fuck around with me and my friends, I will **personally** see to it that they end up in one of the little graves in my boyfriend’s dead father’s cemetery. _Understand?_ ” 

“ **Crystal**.” 

“Good. Feel free to send the message along. Text, email, fax. Just make sure it gets sent.” 

With that, Vanessa shoved her way up out of the chair and walked out, not bothering to look back to see the small smile playing on Morrell’s face. 

#### MEANWHILE, IN WORLD HISTORY

Erica barely had the chance to set her books onto the desk before Boyd and Isaac walked in, the two boys immediately making a beeline to the free seats on either side of her as soon as they saw the bouncy blonde curls from the back of the room. 

She gave Boyd a sweet smile, the one that she knew would cause his dark cheeks to turn burgundy and make his eyes soften in that sort of way that secretly made her heart melt. She liked seeing him blush almost as much as he liked seeing her smile and she found herself caught up in it, so much so that she was able to successfully tune out Isaac’s annoyed sighs until he took it upon himself to bring her back to reality. 

Erica growled as she jerked forward, glaring down in time to see Isaac’s long leg retreat back under his desk. 

“Really? Kicking my fucking chair? What are we, _five_?” 

The boy merely raised a brow, his mouth twitching up into a humorless smirk as he whispered back, “Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing.” 

“Aw, is lil’ Isaac Wahee _sad_? Did somebody get on your lil’ wervy nerves?” the blonde pouted mockingly, red lips curling up into a snarl. 

Isaac growled, flashing his eyes at her, “It's hard not to when _someone_ spent the whole study period trash-talking me with my girlfriend!” 

Erica scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulders as she retorted, “Dude, I **tried** to defend you, I really did, but then I heard about that mess of a breakup – “ 

“I didn’t _breakup with her_ – “ 

“Like saying 'I love you' and then just jumping out of her window without another fucking word – “ 

“It wasn’t like that – “ 

“Like, you could have thrown in a 'yes, I promise' just to clarify some stuff – “ 

“Erica,” a stern voice spoke up from beside her, followed by a gentle hand landing on her shoulder. The blonde closed her mouth and followed the hand up to the owner, meeting Boyd’s soft eyes as he shook his head at her, “I think he gets it.” 

She cast a look at Isaac. The boy’s shoulders were slumped in defeat as he stared down at his desk, taking deep breaths in and out to control the bundle of frustration building up inside of him. He was clenching his fists so tight that blood had begun to form in a small puddle underneath them. 

Erica’s forehead wrinkled up in worry and her stomach turned. Dipping her hand into her handbag, she dug out a packet of tissues and tossed them onto Isaac’s desk with a heavy sigh. 

“Look,” she began softly, watching as the boy slowly took out a wad of tissues and began mopping up the mess he made, “I’m sorry for trashing you. I get that you didn’t exactly have a _choice_ – “ 

“The ‘I love you’ was the promise.” 

She trailed off, eyes widening in surprise. 

“What?” 

“The I love you,” Isaac repeated, not bothering to look up as he wiped up the blood, tucking them into his trouser pockets without sparing them a second glance, “That was me making her that promise. That I would come back.” 

Erica blinked at him, her mouth opening and closing like a fish as she tried to form a coherent sentence. 

“What – “ she cleared her throat, “Why didn’t you just tell her that?” 

Isaac shrugged, “Sarah was listening in. Besides, it’s better this way. She can stop trying so damn hard – “ 

“No, no, no,” Erica started jumping up down in excitement, waving her hands at him as if she could physically scare his thoughts off the path they were heading down, “Don’t you see? This is - this is perfect!” 

“Um, right,” Isaac looked a bit uncomfortable, scratching the back of his neck as he frowned, “How, exactly?” 

“She wants you back!” 

“You literally spent an hour with her bonding over what a dickhead I am?” 

“Yeah,” Erica blew a raspberry, tucking a stray curl behind her ears as she shook her hands at him, “But that’s how you know she really cares. If she didn’t care about you, we wouldn’t have trashed you for so long. But because it took an hour, that’s how you know what you did really hurt her!” 

“And that’s a good thing?” 

“YES!” Erica whisper yelled, clutching at the corners of her table as she dragged it closer to his, her eyes darting to the door to check if the teacher had arrived yet before she turned them to Isaac with mischief glittering in her eyes, “It is a very, _very_ good thing. It means that the sooner we figure out a plan for you to make your way back to each other, the less likely she will resent you.” 

Isaac threw himself back into his chair, scoffing sarcastically, “That’s great, Erica. Thanks for that.” 

“OH MY GOD!” the blonde groaned, rolling her eyes so hard that the two boys on either side of her thought they might roll out of her head as she slammed her hand onto the desk, “Listen, dumbass, stop being so pessimistic and look on the bright side of life.” 

“Monty Python?” 

“ ** _Shut up_** ,” she hissed, flashing her eyes at him, “Now, I told her that we’re going to be doing rotations around her house to make sure that Gerard doesn’t take advantage of our little predicament and try to use her as leverage against Derek. So, that will give you both plenty of time to make goo-goo eyes at each other.” 

His eyes darkened at the thought and Erica bit back the urge to grin, knowing full well that she sent Isaac Lahey into protective mode. She sent a knowing glance over her shoulder at Boyd, who shook his head at her while amusement danced in his dark gaze. He knew her well enough to know that she was goading Isaac into agreeing with their plan, decreasing the likelihood of him dobbing them into Derek for going against his orders. 

“ _And_ ,” Erica continued, smirking conspiratorially, “If Vanessa plays nice with her mothers, she might be able to convince them to let her go to the Championship Game. Therefore, she’ll be there to cheer you on!” 

Isaac looked away, trying in vain to hide his reddening cheeks at the thought of finally playing a game with Vanessa cheering him on in the stands but Erica wasn’t done yet. 

The blonde leaned out of her chair to sidle ridiculously close to him, cooing devilishly in his ear. 

“And just think, she can sneak off in the chaos of the aftermath, the crowd going wild in celebration and you two meeting up behind the bleachers, you holding her close as you whisper sweet apologies against her skin…” 

“I _really_ hope you aren’t planning what I think you’re planning,” a voice cut in abruptly, causing all three Betas to silently groan at what was beginning to be an interesting conversation. 

Scott glowered at them all, crossing his arms over his chest as he shook his head, “You can’t be serious!" 

“About what?” Erica asked innocently, rearranging herself so that she was back in her own chair. 

“I’m not an idiot, Erica,” he glared at the blonde, putting down his bag next to the desk in front of Boyd, “I know that you’re trying to get Isaac to break his promise to Sarah. And I’m not having it.” 

The blonde growled at that, leaning forward so that her top pulled low, exposing her generous cleavage to most of the class in front of her as she purred wickedly, “You’re not 'having it', McCall? You really want to go toe to toe with me _again_? Ness isn’t here to play referee this time, so if you want some claws, you'll get them.” 

“I don’t want to fight,” Scott bit out angrily, “I want what’s best for Ness.” 

The dark-haired boy looked at Isaac beside her, his brows softening imperceptibly as he told him, “I thought you did too.” 

Isaac bared his teeth but didn’t respond, avoiding the glare Erica turned on him. 

“Oh, _come on_!” she spun on Scott, shooting him an annoyed look, “How is leaving Nessa to the hunters _best_ for her?!” 

“They’re not going to come after her!” 

“How do _you_ know?” 

Scott’s jaw clenched as he argued, “Look, right now, Vanessa’s out. She’s staying out of it. If you want what’s best for her, you’ll leave her out of it.” 

“I want her to be _happy_ ,” Erica grounded out, pointing an accusing finger at the boy, “If arranging a secret rendezvous with her boyfriend will do it, then I say, _Que Sera Sera_!” 

Scott’s brows furrowed and he tilted his head like a confused puppy dog. 

“I don’t know what that means.” 

Erica sighed in despair and gave the ceiling a tired glare. 

“It means that if doing what makes her happy puts her in danger, then that’s something we will have to deal with. But I know that Vanessa would much rather live on a tightrope, than survive on the ground.” 

“What?” 

Isaac raised her hand, “Yeah, I’m kind of lost too.” 

Seeing that the blonde girl was one faucet away from blowing up in both their faces, Boyd leaned around her to explain to them, “She’s saying that Vanessa would rather be happy than be safe, because she thinks that being alive isn’t worth much if you’re not happy.” 

Scott nodded his head as if he understood before he realized what it meant and started shaking it fiercely. 

“Well, I think that being alive is more important than anything else.” 

“It’s not about what _you_ think!” Erica exclaimed quietly, getting angrier by the minute, “It’s about doing ‘what’s best for Vanessa’, remember? If she’s not happy, then it doesn’t matter if she’s alive because she won’t actually be living!” 

Scott’s eyes began to cloud over again, and the blonde threw her hands up in defeat, “Forget it!” 

“Look,” Boyd spoke up before things could turn violent between the two fuming Betas, “I think we can all agree that we want what’s best for Vanessa, whether that be happiness or safety. I think we can come up with a compromise.” 

“How?” Scott turned to him, raising a brow to challenge the dark-skinned boy, “How are we going to keep her safe _and_ keep her happy because I’m not about to just break my promise to Sarah! I actually agree with her that Nessa needs to keep away from this stuff. She’s not like us, if she gets hurt, she doesn’t have super freaking healing to fall back on.” 

“Yes, but we’re also the reason she hasn’t been seriously injured or killed,” Erica insisted. 

Boyd nodded, “Right, so how about we keep an eye on her while keeping her out of the fray?” 

“Rotations,” Erica nodded, sending a triumphant smirk over to Scott. 

“We will take turns keeping watch over her house and, if necessary, tail her while she’s outside of school,” the dark-skinned boy gave the blonde a knowing look as he emphasized, “While keeping our distance. Edge of the property only. No going on the roof, no going in her room and no stepping foot on the yard.” 

Erica threw back her head and groaned, “You just have to suck the fun out of everything, don’t you?” 

Boyd gave her a small smile before continuing on, “And if – _if_ – Sarah and Lisa start giving V some freedom, we’ll consider spending some time with her. _With discretion_.” 

His dark gaze traveled between the three Betas as he asked, “Does that sound reasonable?” 

Erica nodded eagerly, Isaac looked away to hide his own growing hope that he might get his girlfriend back while Scott grappled desperately for a flaw in the boy’s logic but realized dejectedly that there wasn’t one. Sinking down into his seat, he managed a nod just as the teacher came in to start the class. 

\- 

Half an hour into the lesson, the teacher finally let them go about their work after droning on and on about how important it was that they remembered that Rasputin was assassinated years before the beginning of World War II and therefore had no relevance to the Russian-German relations at the time nor the conflict between the Axis and Allied Powers. 

Erica snorted, thinking that if Vanessa were in class instead of seeing the guidance counselor, she would probably be trash-talking anyone who could mix up something that blatantly obvious. Because _of course_ the rest of the class would know the exact date of some old Russian dude’s death. The only thing that came into Erica’s head when she heard the name Rasputin was that European disco song. 

She had just fallen back into her chair to nap the rest of the class away when Stiles stumbled through the door, late slip in hand and a frown etched onto his forehead. 

“Mr. Stilinski. So glad you could join us,” their teacher said in a clipped tone as he reluctantly rose from behind the desk he had just sat down behind. 

Stiles gave him a tight-lipped smile before waving the piece of paper in his hand at the old man, “Got my excuse right here, sir.” 

Their teacher sighed, snatching the paper before waving for the boy to take his seat. 

Stiles took the empty desk beside Scott, right in front of Erica. The newcomer had barely thrown his bag onto the ground before he spun around to face her, this time with a glare that made her perk up. She could have sworn she heard Boyd groan from beside her, but she ignored it in favor of giving Stiles the evilest smirk she could. 

_He's so cute when he tries to intimidate me_ , she sighed to herself. 

“So, guess who I just bumped into when I came out of Miss Morrell’s office.” 

Erica tilted her head to the side and tapped her finger to her lips innocently, “ _Who?_ ” 

Stiles’ eye twitched. He leaned forward in his seat and muttered quietly, “You know, Erica, you might be blonde, but no one thinks you’re dumb.” 

“Yes, but you have to admit, it’s fun when they do,” she replied with a shrug, picking at her nails nonchalantly as she smiled at him, “Did you guys have a nice conversation? I bet she was excited to finally talk to you.” 

“Oh, but not as excited as she was to talk to _you_ ,” Stiles rolled his eyes. 

This time, it was Scott who groaned from in front of Boyd. The boy turned to give Stiles a wide-eyed look as he whined, “Come on, man, don’t tell me she got to you too?!” 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Isaac lean forward in his seat to murmur to Stiles, “Did you talk to Nessa?” 

Stiles sighed before nodding his head, “Yeah, I ran into her outside the guidance counselor’s office. She was going in when I was leaving. But that’s not the interesting part of the conversation.” 

He swung his head to Erica and glared at her accusingly. The blonde’s soft brown eyes flared as she realized what he was getting at and she whispered excitedly, “Did she give you a little errand to run too?!” 

Stiles’ glare only grew and Scott shook his head from beside him as he grumbled, “Am I the only one that thinks keeping Nessa out of trouble is a good idea?!” 

The sound of Erica’s teeth grinding in frustration could be heard from the front of the classroom and the teacher looked up from his desk to ask the group at the back, “Is there a problem back there?” 

Scott and Stiles dropped their head in a not-so-subtle move to look like they were doing their work. Isaac scoffed before dropping his head back on his chair behind him. Boyd was the one who looked up to speak on their behalf, “No sir.” 

The teacher sniffed, obviously not believing him but waved it off with a, “Keep the noise down.” 

Once the teacher went back to regretting his career as an educator, Erica leaned forward again and hissed quietly to the two boys in front of her, “I don’t know why we have to pick one or another, her safety or her happiness. Why can’t she have both?” 

“I think Boyd has a point,” Isaac spoke up from beside her, causing all four of them to swivel their heads in his direction, “I don’t think we should jump the gun but…” 

He stared at his clenched fists and murmured softly, “I hate seeing her all alone.” 

Scott scoffed, “Of course _you_ would say that.” 

Isaac gritted his teeth, prepared to snap back when Erica beat him to it. 

“Hey! Besides Boyd, Isaac is the only one out of all of us that hasn’t caved in and talked to her! And he’s her fucking boyfriend for fucks sake! If anyone is hurting over this more than Nessa, it’s him. So how about you take your snippy little comments and show them up your – “ 

“Woah, Woah, Woah!” Stiles jumped around in his seat, holding his hands out in between the two angry werewolves. Erica’s eyes had begun to glow gold and there was a hint of fang as she growled at Scott. The boy in question merely glared back at her but Stiles could see that his friend was slowly losing his patience with the Betas behind him. 

Stiles sighed. 

“How about we all _calm down_ and talk like _people_ instead of growling at each other like a bunch of beasts, yeah? May I remind you, not all of us can speak _Animal Kingdom_.” 

Isaac raised a brow at him, Boyd chuckled quietly from his desk and Erica snorted, losing the golden glint in her eyes as she sat back in her chair with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. Stiles’ shoulders slumped in relief before Scott spoke up once again. 

“You guys think that you have it tough, but we’ve known Ness since we were in diapers. She’s been beside us every single day since kindergarten. Isaac might be missing his girlfriend but me and Stiles? We’re missing our sister.” 

The aura around the desk beside Erica darkened and she could have sworn that everybody stiffened up at the low, menacing growl that echoed from the back of the room. Erica prepared herself to step in, drag Isaac out if need be, when Stiles quickly spoke up. 

Eyes rolling up to the ceiling like he was drawing on the strength of God himself for what he was about to say, Stiles let out a long-suffering sigh before admitting, “I can’t believe I’m about to say this but I’m with Erica, Scott.” 

The growling ceased abruptly. Erica reared back like she was slapped. Even Boyd straightened up in his chair at the unexpected statement. 

Scott stared at his best friend, dumbstruck before he muttered, “What?” 

Stiles avoided meeting the eyes of the increasingly smug blonde behind him and explained, “Put yourself in her shoes, Scotty. That night, before everything went down at the station, Ness had already been put through the wringer.” 

He settled back into his chair with a thoughtful frown, his mouth uncharacteristically tight at the corners as he murmured soft enough that they wouldn’t be overheard but that the wolves would hear him without any problem. 

“You know she had been worrying about the full moon coming up. How it was going to be the first full moon for Erica and Boyd, how Isaac was going through it a second time and how she didn’t know if you would hold up okay with everything happening with…” 

He left the sentence hanging but everyone knew where he was going with it. Scott gave him a hard look but that didn’t detour Stiles from telling his best friend the truth, “She didn’t shut up about it the whole day. Hell, she kept texting us throughout the day to make sure that we had everything prepared and that you were going okay.” 

Scott hung his head. He remembered calling her that morning, when she was on the road, driving Isaac to Derek’s house. Vanessa had been sitting next to a ticking time bomb with one hand on the wheel and still managed to run him through what was happening that night. 

Stiles snorted to himself before murmuring, “You know, Lydia’s party was all her idea, right?” 

Scott’s head whipped up in surprise. Stiles nodded. 

“Yep. I know, when Lydia told me, I thought it was some sort of practical joke. Lydia Martin, skipping out on her own birthday party? When hell freezes over,” Stiles laughed to himself, quieting down when the teacher lifted his head from the front of the classroom, “Anyway, you know Ness. She used to have a bigger crush on Lydia than me.” 

Scott raised a brow at that and even Erica muttered a small, ‘As if’, under her breath, but she was resting her head on her arms, looking at Stiles’ back with wide eyes, eager to hear the rest of the story that she somehow missed out on. 

Stiles rolled his eyes before correcting himself, “Fine, that might be slightly over exaggerating things but Ness really did look up to her. And so, she supposedly gave her this big pep talk and BAM! She was helping Lydia with something as prestigious as her birthday party.” 

“Is that supposed to mean something?” Isaac muttered to Boyd, leaning backward in his chair to glance quizzically at the other boy. Boyd just shrugged, equally confused as to why helping Lydia Martin plan something as normal as a birthday was so significant to them. 

Erica ignored the two, inwardly rolling their eyes at their lack of social awareness. Lydia Martin’s parties were a thing of dreams, and were usually invite-only, exclusive to only the jocks and their girlfriends. 

Meaning: _No freaks allowed._

Stiles continued, “So, Ness did what Ness always did. She worried about everything and everyone. That whole day, she was checking in with Lydia, making sure I was going to arrive on time, that Scott was going to be there, that you three were going to be okay, that Derek was going to be okay – which I don’t know why she cared, I personally would have – “ 

“ _Stiles_ ,” Scott interrupted his best friend’s rambling, blinking at him with wide eyes, “What are you trying to say?” 

“Right. Look, you know how stressed she gets, with her anxiety and everything. And then with the hallucinations and shit at Lydia’s – “ 

“Um, sorry, _what_?” 

Stiles cut off, mouth hanging open in shock. Erica frowned at him confused. 

“Did you just say hallucinations?” 

“ _Shit_ ,” Stiles muttered underneath his breath. 

Erica glanced to her left and found Isaac’s eyes narrowed on the back of Stiles’ head, like if he stared hard enough, he might be able to find out from the sight of the guy’s brain alone what the hell he was going on about. 

“Hello? Can we get some context please?” Erica waved a hand, trying to get Stiles’ attention but the boy was too busy gaping at Scott to understand. 

“What should I tell them?” Stiles tried to whisper to Scott. 

Scott shrugged, opening his mouth to say something snappy about how Stiles was the one who decided to tell the story when Erica lunged over her desk so that her chest was warming Stiles’ back through his chair, her hot breath hitting his neck where his pulse throbbed fast. 

“How ‘bout you tell us **everything**?” she growled out in a dark, dangerous tone, more predator than girl. 

Stiles gulped and nodded before taking a deep breath, “Something happened at Lydia’s. We don’t know what exactly, but somehow, everybody’s drinks were poisoned with wolfsbane, causing everyone at the party to hallucinate.” 

His shoulders dropped and his face went pale at the memory of his father stumbling around the pool’s edge in the suit he wore to mother’s funeral, the sound of the bottle sloshing in his hand before it sailed towards his head and hit the wall behind him – 

“Stiles?” 

Erica had lost some of her ferocity, staring at him with a worried look on her face. 

Stiles shook himself out of his memories, and explained, “Right, well, all of us were hit pretty badly with these hallucinations, including me and Scott. But the people who had it the worse were Vanessa and Allison.” 

“Allison was there?” Erica scrunched up her face at the same time Isaac leaned forward and demanded, “What happened to Vanessa?” 

The boy in front of the blonde inhaled sharply and the Beta’s in the back row could tell that whatever he was about to say, was not good. 

“After me and Scott came out of it, we heard a scream. We knew it was Vanessa.” 

Isaac’s hand wrapped around the back of Stiles’ chair, claws dragging across the plastic. 

Stiles didn’t stop. 

“We found them in the upstairs hallway. Vanessa was in the bathroom. Allison was telling herself to put the crossbow down and – “ 

“Crossbow?” Erica whispered, her eyes wide and scared, “What the fuck?” 

“Vanessa was – she was crying and – “ 

“Was she hurt?” Isaac shook the back of his chair, “Did _Allison_ do something to her?!” 

His voice had gone deep, morphing with his wolves. Erica placed one hand on her packmates forearm but turned to the boy in front of her with a small, “Stiles? Was Vanessa hurt?” 

Stiles shook his head, “She looked fine but when she stood up, the look in her eyes – I had never, in all the time I have known her, seen Vanessa look so - broken.” 

Scott sighed from beside Stiles and turned around in his seat so that he met Isaac and Erica’s eyes when he explained, “She was screaming about how Allison apparently killed Isaac in her hallucination.” 

Erica’s jaw dropped. Isaac sat forward as he repeated, confused, “Killed me?” 

Scott shrugged, “That’s what we think she saw. In the hallucinations, I mean. She saw Allison kill you.” 

“You _think_ she saw?” Isaac gritted out between his teeth, “What do you mean you _think_ she saw?” 

“She didn’t tell us,” Scott shook his head, his eyes softening, “After we got them out of it, Vanessa barely spoke for the rest of the night, not until we were back at Stiles’ house. Whatever she saw, it was bad.” 

They all watched as Isaac sank back into his seat, his expression withdrawn as he thought about what Vanessa experienced. His face was pale and his forehead was peppered with moisture, evidence of how hard he had to hold back from shifting. 

Erica stared at him mournfully, patting his forearm sympathetically before turning to Scott and Stiles just as the former looked at his best friend, his eyes hard and his brows furrowed low over his eyes once more. 

“I still don’t get why you’re siding with Erica, though. If anything, that whole experience should be enough of a reason why Nessa needs to get away from all this. She needs time to deal with the trauma – “ 

“ _Her trauma_ is exactly why she shouldn’t be away from us, from him,” Stiles threw a thumb over his shoulder at Isaac, where the boy lifted his head. Stiles leaned forward, “Do you remember how devastated she was when she thought he was dead? Do you remember what she screamed at Allison, screamed at us? She said, ‘I loved him, and I never got to tell him’. She kept repeating it until I put her under.” 

“I might not be your biggest fan,” Stiles grumbled over his shoulder, meeting Isaac’s reddening eyes, “In fact, I think you’re a dick but…Scott was right when he said that Vanessa is our sister. That means that when it comes to her, my opinion of you is irrelevant.” 

Stiles looked back over at his best friend and sighed, “You might have been right about that Scotty, but you were wrong about how it was in her best interest to keep her away from everyone and everything supernatural, including the guy she loves.” 

\- 

The bell had rung shortly after that. It hadn’t taken much after Stiles’ revelation to wear Scott down, especially once Stiles explained how Vanessa wouldn’t be joining him and Erica on the tasks she gave them. 

To say the least, Scott was skeptical about that. The Vanessa he knew and grew up with would twist your arm until she was in on a scheme. For her to simply hand it off to them was suspicious. But Erica explained how if they wanted any hope of hanging with Vanessa again, the girl would have to follow her mothers’ rules. 

They all agreed they would keep their distance until Sarah started giving Vanessa some freedom. Erica and Stiles were confident that Sarah wouldn’t keep Vanessa away forever. 

All five of them were in the cafeteria line, talking over who would be taking the first patrol. Isaac had been quiet since Stiles’ told them that Vanessa was in love with him. He didn’t want to push his luck with Scott but he also wasn’t sure if he could handle being so close to her after what he found out. 

He didn’t think he deserved it. 

He broke up with her after she went through hell that night, after she saw him get killed in her hallucinations. No wonder she was so scared of letting him go back to help Scott. 

He remembered the glare she leveled on him that night, sapphire eyes shot up with blood and irritated with tears. She was so furious at him, shaking all over as she shoved him back from the door with more strength than he thought she could possess as she spat. 

She had screamed at him as she kept shoving him back. 

He thought that she was talking about staying there to help her with Derek and Stiles, to get them back on their feet so that they could figure out a way to get out of there. But her voice was so raw and her fingers seemed to dig into the remnants of his tattered shirt with every shove as if she wanted him as far away from the door as she could get him but also wanting him to be as close to her as possible. 

As desperate as he was to get to her the whole night, he realized now that she was as desperate to get to him. When she woke up after all of that, after all the chaos died down and Matt was gone, she probably thought that she would have all night and the morning after to reassure herself that he wasn’t dead, that her hallucinations were a lie. 

No wonder she kept trying to touch him. No wonder she looked at him with eyes full of hurt when he stopped himself from coming close. 

He remembered how scared she sounded as she begged him to look at her, to talk to her, to stay with her. How quick she spoke, how quick she begged for him to at least give her hope that this wasn’t the end of him, that he was going to come back. That she wasn’t actually going to lose him. 

He clutched his tray in his hands as he followed the others to their table, sitting down on the other side of Erica while Boyd took a seat to her right. Scott and Stiles took the seats across from them, bickering between themselves while Boyd tried to steer them back to the conversation at hand. 

They were pretty easy to tune out, annoying as they were, when the only thing Isaac could hear was the sound of Vanessa’s voice as she pleaded with him softly, in that broken whisper of hers. 

_"Come back to me."_

“Isaac?” 

_"Come back to me."_

“Hey, earth to Isaac!” 

_"Come back to me."_

“ **CALL IN TEENAGE ANGST!** Should I start playing _Welcome to the Black Parade_?!” 

Finger clicked in front of his face, vying for his attention. Instinctively, he snapped his jaws at them. 

Stiles jumped back with a yelp, holding his appendages to his hand as he glared at him, “Hey!” 

“What?” Isaac grumbled, looking around the table to find all eyes on him, “What were you saying?” 

“Well, before you went all Hannibal Lector on me, we were talking about how Boyd was going to take first patrol after school…unless, of course, you wanted to volunteer – “ 

“No, I’m good,” Isaac cut in quickly, rolling his shoulders as he took a stab at his Caesar salad with his fork. He brought a piece of lettuce to his mouth and tried to resist gagging. God, did he hate cafeteria food. 

Stiles and Erica frowned at him, the former going so far as to prompt him, “Are you sure?” 

“Yep. I’ll take over for Erica once she does hers.” 

But Erica shook her head, turning to her own food and explaining, “Can’t. I’m going to be busy running errands all evening. You’ll have to take over for Boyd tonight.” 

Isaac turned to glare at her, knowing full well what she was trying to do when Scott suddenly spoke up, looking between the blonde and Stiles as he said, 

“You still haven’t told me what she asked you to do.” 

Stiles mimed zipping his mouth close, but Erica was all too happy to offer, “Actually, I might need your help for mine.” 

Stiles raised an eyebrow at that, taking a sip of his chocolate milk, “Wait, why do you need Scott’s help.” 

“His mom works at the hospital. He can help me get access to their records,” she shrugged, before clarifying, “Or more specifically, their autopsy reports.” 

“ _Autopsy reports?!_ ” Scott exclaimed incredulously as Stiles spat out his milk, “Why the hell do you want those?” 

“ _That’s_ what she asked you to get?!” Stiles coughed, using a bunch of napkins to wipe his mess off of the table. Isaac dropped his fork on his plate and pushed his entire tray away, losing his appetite. 

Erica hummed nodding at Stiles before turning to Scott to smirk, “And if you want to know so bad, you have to help me out. Meet me tonight at the front of the hospital. 6 pm. That’s when you drop off dinner for your mom right?” 

“How do you know that?" 

“Dude, seriously?” she raised a brow, rolling her eyes before explaining, “I practically _lived_ in that damn place. Whenever I had a severe episode, I would usually stay a full day. Your mother was the one to discharge me and I was always leaving when you were coming in, take out in hand. 7 pm sharp.” 

The rest of the table blinked at her in surprise. Stiles leaned into Scott and whispered, “I don’t know whether that’s sad or creepy.” 

Erica sent him a glare to let him know that she could still clearly hear every word coming out of his mouth before turning back to Scott expectantly, “Look, you have an excuse to be there. I’ll go down to the Morgue, dig around for the files Nessa asked me to get for her while you can stand by as my lookout. If anyone asks you why you’re there, you just say that you’re waiting for your mom to get something out of her locker or whatever. Then we dip. Sounds easy?” 

Stiles scoffed, “Have you ever broken into the Morgue before?” 

“ _Have you?_ ” 

“Yes!” Stiles nodded frantically, “And it’s not that easy!” 

“Actually,” Scott scratched the back of his neck reluctantly, “It kind of is. I mean, if we can get in then anyone else is bound to be able to sneak in, right?” 

Stiles groaned, throwing himself back into his seat as he waved his hands, “Dude, I was trying to get you out of playing detective with Werewolf Barbie over here but now you’ve gone and dug yourself a bigger hole.” 

He pointed at the blonde girl across from them, who was wearing a big, smug grin. Scott blinked at them before realizing he duped himself. He released an aggravated sigh before relenting. 

“Fine. 6 pm. In and out. No messing around. Deal?” 

Erica nodded victoriously. Stiles looked a bit put off. 

He crossed his arms across his chest and grumbled, “Great. You stole my best friend. Now who’s going to help me with my errand? Boyd?” 

The dark-skinned boy looked up from his meal, having tuned out after the yelling had toned down. 

“Um. I’m on Vanessa patrol first up. Sorry?” 

Stiles gave him a look of dread as he murmured, “Don’t tell me that means – “ 

“Oh, this is too good,” Erica giggled manically, patting the shoulder of the boy on her left. 

Isaac was already glaring by the time Stiles’ dragged his eyes over to him. 

They both simultaneously said, “ **No freakin’ way.** ” 

Erica rolled her eyes at them both before leaning in and saying, “Look, these tasks come straight from Vanessa. She wants them done before the Championship games. They could be the key to solving all of our problems.” 

Isaac frowned, having no clue what the tasks were and even Boyd gave her raised brow in question. Scott shook his head, as he too was lost to what Vanessa, Erica and Stiles had realized. 

But Erica couldn’t be bothered giving them the 411 at that moment and clenched her hand on Isaac’s shoulder as she glared at him and Stiles, “If you guys ever want Vanessa to be let out of house arrest, you'll get your heads out of your asses, swallow your mutual loathing of each other and work together for just this _one fucking time_. Okay?” 

Isaac let out a rough growl at being manhandled but gave a short nod. Stiles gaped at them both before letting out an all-suffering groan, “Fine. I’ll work with the GQ page dedicated to scarves. But only for tonight.” 

The reference didn’t go over Isaac’s head. He scoffed. 

Before he could snipe back, another voice called out to them suddenly just as a tray landed on the other side of Scott. 

“Did I hear GQ?” Lydia Martin smiled with tight lips, her eyes appraising the table carefully, “Someone must have good taste.” 

Scott was about to explain when Stiles clamped a hand over his mouth, leaning forward to speak to the strawberry blonde, “Yeah, I was thinking about changing my look. What do you think, Lydia?” 

While the newcomer was pursuing her lips in consideration, the Betas across the table snickered silently. 

Lydia tapped a single manicured finger against her watermelon pink lips and hummed, “I thought with someone like Vanessa as your friend, you would have something as important as fashion pegged by now. Guess not.” 

She shrugged, completely missing the absolute burn she inflicted on the boy. Erica’s shoulders shook as she attempted to restrain her laughter. Even Isaac managed to smirk despite his growing bad mood. 

That was, of course, until Lydia pointed out, “There she is now.” 

Everyone’s head whipped around to the cafeteria line where a familiar brunette stood, weaving and out of the throngs of students to get her food. Vanessa’s mouth was thinned into a scowl as she glared at the people in front of her as they took their goddamn time picking up food they thought they wanted and putting it right back. 

Erica grinned from beside Isaac as they watched the girl mouth off something to the boys in front of her, causing them to hurry along with the food they decided upon. Vanessa smirked to herself before making polite conversation with the cafeteria lady, turning around to appraise the rest of the room for somewhere to sit when her eyes landed on the group. 

Isaac met her gaze head-on and suddenly her voice filled his head once more. 

_“Come back to me.”_

He heard the hitch in her breathe from across the room. Even with the sound of fifty people separating him, he could hear how her heart started beating faster. He could practically see it throbbing through her low-cut top and his eyes burned hot. 

_“Come back to me.”_

The temperature started rising around him and he had to grab onto the table in front of him to steady himself. He took a deep breath in and the sugary sweet scent of her Hello Kitty hit his nose, barely masking the vanilla body wash she used underneath. 

_“Come back to me.”_

Vanessa hadn’t moved a muscle as they stared at each other, and over the chorus of her scent, her heartbeat, her breath, he heard her voice saying the words that Stiles told them she said that night at Lydia’s party. 

“Isaac,” Erica murmured softly, a warning of what they all knew was happening within him. Isaac took a deep breath. In. Out. In. Out. 

He couldn’t shift in the middle of the cafeteria, not after the conversation they had. They were trying to convince Vanessa’s parents that they weren’t dangerous, that they weren’t the monsters they should fear. That they could be trusted with their daughter’s safety, that they would protect her. 

That he would protect her. Protect the girl he loved. 

He felt the claws he didn’t even realize had come out disappear and felt that it was safe to open his eyes once more. When they landed on Vanessa, the room chilled. 

Because she wasn’t looking at them. She was looking at someone over her shoulder. 

The entire room quietened down and watched as the police strode through with Gerard at their side, talking about the box of things in their hand. The group at the table stiffened. They knew that the box contained Matt Daehler’s belongings. 

Vanessa’s mom was with them. And she was looking between Vanessa and the group with a knowing look. 

A look that reminded them all of the promise they made her.

The exact promise they were on the verge of breaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few questions:  
> 1\. What was you're favorite part of the chapter?  
> 2\. What did you find interesting about the chapter?  
> 3\. What are you looking forward to most in next chapter?  
> 4\. Who's team up are you eager to read about? Erica and Scott or Isaac and Stiles?  
> 5\. Did you like hearing from Erica's POV and if so, what did you most enjoy about it?  
> 6\. What do you guys think about the plan the Betas came up with?  
> 7\. What did you think about the mini- Isaac and Vanessa interaction at the end?  
> 8\. On a scale of one to ten, how eager are you guys to see a more confrontational interaction between Isaac and Vanessa?  
> 9\. If Isaac and Vanessa were to make up, how do you guys see it happening?


	43. The Case Files of Victoria Argent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By last bell, everyone was wary of Sarah O’Connor.
> 
> But that didn’t shake their resolve to break the promise they made to her.
> 
> They weren’t changing their minds, even after Scott brought up how mad the deputy would be if she found out what they were planning. Erica merely shrugged it off and followed Scott to Stiles' jeep, Isaac in tow with his shoulders slouched and his head hung low like he was being dragged to hell itself. Boyd had to run to make it to the bus, explaining how he was going to the Den to tell Derek about the change of plans.
> 
> Erica and Isaac were just grateful that it wasn’t **them** having to break the news to Derek, but they weren’t worried. They all knew who the favorite child was.
> 
> This was going to go well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I know you guys have been super eager to see how the teams will all play out. I know a lot of you miss the Isaac/Vanessa content and I sympathise with you, I really do. I have made sure to add a lot of references to their relationship in this chapter so this might help or this might hurt.
> 
> I might not be able to make another update this month because I'm going to be busy with Uni. My 18th birthday is this Wednesday so I won't be writing up the newest chapter until afterwards. 
> 
> PS. I finished this at 2:08 am my time so guys, please leave a comment and tell me this is worth it!

By last bell, everyone was wary of Sarah O’Connor. 

But that didn’t shake their resolve to break the promise they made to her. 

They weren’t changing their minds, even after Scott brought up how mad the deputy would be if she found out what they were planning. Erica merely shrugged it off and followed Scott to Stiles' jeep, Isaac in tow with his shoulders slouched and his head hung low like he was being dragged to hell itself. Boyd had to run to make it to the bus, explaining how he was going to the Den to tell Derek about the change of plans. 

Erica and Isaac were just grateful that it wasn’t **them** having to break the news to Derek, but they weren’t worried. They all knew who the favorite child was. 

Across the parking lot, a mother and daughter walked side by side but were worlds apart. The icy tension between them had frozen over after Sarah had caught Vanessa staring longingly at her group of friends from across the cafeteria and when Vanessa had met up with her mother at her locker, the older woman didn’t say a word before turning on heel and walking towards the car park. 

Vanessa scowled. It wasn’t like she was breaking any rules by looking at them. What did Sarah want from her? To not look at her friends ever again? That was kind of pushing it since she usually had to share classes with them all, but whatever. She just had to remind herself that Sarah was just being a mother, she just wanted to keep her safe and – 

_Yeah, that was getting old real fast._

Fortunately, her saving grace came in the unexpected form of Lydia Martin as the strawberry blonde called after her just before they made it to Sarah’s car. 

“Hey!” Lydia gave her best and brightest smile to Sarah first before turning to Vanessa, “I’ve been meaning to get you alone! Hi, I’m Lydia, you must be Mrs. O’Connor? It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

“Lydia Martin?” Sarah raised a brow at her, silently checking with Vanessa that she got the girl’s name right. Vanessa nodded, her back stiff. Sarah turned to Lydia and gave her an easy, polite smile in return, “It’s nice to meet you. Happy birthday for Wednesday.” 

“Thank you. I was wondering if Vanessa was free to get a quick bite to eat?” 

Sarah’s mouth immediately tightened. Her eyes swept warily to her daughter and back to the innocent-looking girl beside her. Lydia Martin was not on the cliff notes version of the list of supernatural creatures in this town but that didn’t mean she was exactly _safe_. 

“I don’t know…it’s a school night and Vanessa’s got homework – “ 

“Mom,” Vanessa spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper as she leaned in, a hand on Sarah’s arm. She pleaded softly, “ _Please_. It’s **just** a bite to eat.” 

Sarah stared long and hard at her daughter, at how desperate she sounded as she begged her to allow her to get a meal with her friend. It sounded ridiculous not to allow her to. Sarah considered herself many things, but she didn’t consider herself one of those strict mothers who choked the life out of her daughter by keeping her in the house all her life. 

She sighed, rubbing a tired hand down her face, and nodded, “I need to drop some stuff off at the station anyway but only this afternoon. I want you home by five.” 

Vanessa’s shoulders loosened and a small, thankful smile appeared on her lips as she darted forward and pressed a quick kiss to her mother’s cheek, “I will. Thank you.” 

Pulling Lydia along quickly just in case her mother changed her mind, the two made for the strawberry blonde’s car. They didn’t say a word until they shut the door behind them. 

“Okay, was it just me, or did I sense some tension between you and mommy dearest?” Lydia asked, looking over at the brunette in the passenger seat. 

“Lydia, you have no idea.” 

\- 

They drove to that small diner in town, the one that the girls went to that first time Vanessa told Lydia the truth about the strange things happening in Beacon Hills. Vanessa had gone there with Isaac on their first date, and the bittersweet reminder had her stoically avoiding the same booth they had sat in. 

The two girls settled in one of the booths in the corner, away from the windows where the afternoon school rush ran along the main street of downtown Beacon Hills. It was a strange choice to the wait staff on hand, since usually the younger kids wanted the seats with the best view but they shrugged it off and offered the girls the menus before wandering off to the back. 

Lydia hummed nonchalantly, flicking through the menus with her nose scrunched up as if she didn’t already have her meal picked out. Vanessa barely looked at the menu, placing it down in front of her. She waited patiently for her friend to give up the facade of being picky and contented herself with staring at the front door as people drifted in and out. 

A few people she recognized from school came in, a group of girls that Vanessa vaguely remembered giving Allison a hard time after the shit with Kate came out in the town’s newspaper. They did a double-take at seeing her sitting in the corner, across from Lydia, who had started her climb back up the social hierarchy after her party the previous Wednesday. 

The rumor mill across school had people thinking it was a rager, that everybody got absolutely trashed and the police were called. The typical American criteria for a good time. 

Vanessa, on the other hand, wouldn't exactly say that she felt the same way. In fact, since waking up early Thursday morning, she hadn’t been able to sleep without remembering the thud of Isaac’s body as it hit the bathtub in Lydia’s guest bathroom, or the metallic scent of blood that seeped from the arrow through his head, despite the fact it was a hallucination. 

_It turns out that when Wolfsbane hits your bloodstream, it hits hard._

_Speaking of_ , Vanessa narrowed her eyes at the strawberry blonde across from her, _she hasn’t said a word about it since we jumped in the car. Surely, she knows what she did._

“Mmm, I didn’t know they added Veggie burgers. I hope it’s a genuine vegetarian meal because if I even taste a bit of fat, I’m going to sue,” Lydia chirped to her, holding up a hand to gesture to the wait staff that they were ready to order, “Not that this place isn’t one dollar away from closing, anyway.” 

Vanessa rolled her eyes knowingly. Lydia fell back onto this mean, bitchy persona whenever she was feeling cornered. She was nervous and taking a dig at a place that she was clearly fond of. Lydia wouldn't have been there if she didn't **want** to be there. 

Vanessa waited until after they gave the waitress their orders before diving right in. 

“Let’s talk Wednesday.” 

Lydia picked at the imaginary dirt under her perfectly manicured nails and pursued her lips. 

“Apparently it was a rager. Outstanding ovation. Thanks for your help. Tots appreciate it.” 

“Drop the act,” Vanessa gave her a dry look, not willing to put up with her facade, “If you think we’re going to gloss over how you poisoned everyone with Wolfsbane, you have another thing coming, girlfriend.” 

Lydia froze, and she felt a chill run through her blood like ice had slowly started to engulf her whole. 

“So, it actually happened,” she whispered under her breath, but not low enough that Vanessa didn’t hear her. 

The brunette’s hard gaze softened slightly as she nudged her ankle under the table, “Start talking.” 

“Fine,” Lydia sighed, dropping her hands so that they were on the table, crossed at the wrist over one another, “It all started when I began to see **him**.” 

“Him?” Vanessa repeated before remembering their last conversation at the diner, about Lydia having memories of Peter Hale attacking her on the lacrosse field during the Winter Formal, " _Oh my god_ \- as in, him **_him_?!" **

****

They hadn’t talked much about that night and with everything else going on, with Matt, with the hunters, the full moon, it just took a back seat. 

****

Now, it was front and center, causing Vanessa to straighten up as she asked the girl, “What do you mean, started _seeing_ him? Are you still having nightmares?” 

****

“I thought they were at first,” Lydia murmured, tracing shapes on the white table between them, “But then I would snap out of it and I would be standing in my living room or in a classroom or in the halls at school.” 

****

Vanessa’s eyes widened in realization as she muttered, “That day in Calculus.” 

****

Lydia nodded, blue eyes shining with unshed tears, “And at first, I didn’t realize it was **him**. He looked...younger, no older than us. He spoke to me about normal things and he - he gave me these weird flowers - “ 

****

_Flowers_ , Vanessa gaped at the strawberry blonde incredulously, _She’s been hallucinating about a young Peter Hale giving her weird flowers? What the actual fuck?_

****

“But then one day, he came to me and told me he wanted to show me something. One minute I was standing outside on my patio by the pool and the next I was in this great big house. At first, it just looked empty. Clean, as if someone were moving in. But then he kissed me - “ 

****

**Now** Vanessa was full-on slack-jawed, staring at her like she didn’t know which part of the sentence was the craziest. Probably the kissing part. 

****

“He kissed me and when I pulled back, it was like looking into a nightmare. He looked older, like he did the night of the Formal,” Lydia’s breathing began to hitch as she went on, and a tear slid down her cheek, “But he was half-burnt and his throat was slashed. He looked... **dead**.” 

****

Vanessa bit her lip to keep from telling her that he **was** dead but then Lydia continued. 

****

“Everywhere I turned, all I could see was **_rot_**. The house was no longer new or clean, it was as if it was _burnt_ , just like him. Like it was abandoned,” Lydia let out a shuddering breath before whispering, “I screamed. I stood there screaming while he smiled down at me until I collapsed. All I could hear was his voice, _whispering_ into my ear, ranting about all these things. Even when I snapped back out of it, standing in my own home, I could still _see_ him. Whispering, smiling, plotting…” 

****

The brunette frowned, “Plotting what?” 

****

Lydia shook her head as more tears fell, “My memory - it’s - I can’t remember all the details. All I know was that I was supposed to do something on the full moon but - “ 

****

“But what?” 

****

“I remember him asking me to add these violet flowers to the punch - “ the strawberry blonde bit her lip, “But after that, he told me to leave.” 

****

“Wait, hold up,” Vanessa held up a finger, her brows furrowed low in confusion, “You _left_ your party? You mean you weren’t there when the cops broke it up?” 

****

“I had no clue it even happened until the next morning.” 

****

“Then where the hell were you all night?!” 

****

Lydia looked up and met Vanessa’s eyes, “I don't know. The only thing I remember was staring down at a gaping hole in these old rotten floorboards but Vanessa, I - “ 

****

“I think...whatever I did...it brought him back.” 

****

\- 

#### ISAAC AND STILES

****

It was an hour after school let out. Stiles and Isaac had just left Scott’s house where they dropped off him and Erica. What was supposed to be a fifteen-minute drive into town took almost half an hour after Stiles kept pulling over every time Isaac made a smart-ass comment under his breath. 

****

It didn’t stop, not even as they pulled up to the front of the station. Stiles put Roscoe into park before turning to look at the building ahead of them, his dark brows furrowed low on his face as he clapped his hands in anticipation. 

****

“Alright, here’s the plan,” he began, turning to the boy in the passenger seat, “We’re going to walk in. I’m going to say that I was swinging by to drop off dinner for my dad before giving you a lift to lacrosse practice. We’ll go to his office, I’ll look for the file and you’ll put your wolfy senses to good use and keep an ear out for anyone coming. We’re in, we’re out and we’re done with each other.” 

****

“Good plan?” Stiles swung his head to Isaac, speaking fast when the other boy opened his mouth to speak. He nodded, “Okay - good. Let’s go.” 

****

Stiles reached over to open his door when suddenly a hand appeared on the handle, holding it close and keeping him from opening it. Stiles shot an incredulous look over his shoulder at Isaac and exclaimed, “What the hell do you think you're doing?!” 

****

Isaac shook his head, “Yeah - _no_ \- that’s a shitty plan. For one, you don’t have any takeout on you. What happens if they notice that and ask questions? Secondly, they would _most definitely_ make me wait at the front for you to finish speaking with your father, so no lookout there. And how are you going to get your dad out of the office?” 

****

Stiles gaped at him like a goldfish, and Isaac nodded in self-satisfaction, pulling his hand away and crossing his arms over his chest as he repeated, “Like I said; shit plan.” 

****

“I don’t hear **you** coming up with any great ideas.” 

****

Isaac scoffed but didn’t respond. Instead, he went back to looking out of the window. _Of course_ , he didn’t have any ideas. This was not how he was planning to spend his afternoon. In fact, he had been planning to go back to the Den and go to sleep until someone got hungry and ordered takeaway. Then, after shaking Derek down for money and finally getting fed, he would go back to sleep. Then repeat the whole day again. 

****

Stiles didn’t need to know that, though. He didn’t know how pathetic his life had gotten now that he was cut off from the one thing that gave him any semblance of joy or genuine freedom. Isaac had a feeling that would make the smirk on Stiles’ face grow bigger if he knew just how lost he was without his girlfriend around. 

****

Stiles waved a hand at him as if his silence was enough of an answer and smugly declared, “Then we’re going with my plan.” 

****

Isaac gritted his teeth from where he leaned his head against the car window. 

****

Stiles waited for another smartass comment or another eye roll but got silence instead. 

****

“You’re being Mr. Chatty,” he mumbled sarcastically before going on to complain, “I’m so _glad_ I got the **fun** partner.” 

****

“Spending the afternoon playing detective with you isn’t exactly my idea of a fun time, “ Isaac muttered bitterly, clenching his jaw tightly. 

****

“ _Oh_? What _is_ your idea of a fun time? Howling at the moon? Pondering on the best way to **murder** your classmates? Sounds _super_ fun.” 

****

Isaac rolled his eyes, surprised the boy was seriously holding onto that grudge. He let out a long-suffering sigh, “I wasn’t _serious_ about killing Lydia. It was a joke. I just needed to keep you distracted while we figured out how to administer her the test without you and your little gang getting in our way.” 

****

“See, normal people usually swap knock-knock jokes or something like that but you guys, you guys go, ‘you know what’s funny? - **MURDER** ’ and sadly, it doesn’t get many laughs,” Stiles shakes his head in mock pity, sending Isaac a sly side-eyed glance before asking, “No, seriously though. What do you do for fun - besides, of course, collecting scarves? What is up with that by the way - “ 

****

Isaac tuned the annoying boy out, knowing that he just wanted to get a rise out of him. However, his question still hit home, no matter how insincere it was. What did Isaac do for fun? It wasn’t like he had many opportunities to pick up a hobby, what with the strict schedule his father had him on before he died. After his mother and brother both passed away, his father limited his time to school, lacrosse, and working at the cemetery. Everything that Isaac did for ‘fun’ was at the expense of his father wanting his no-good, worthless son to live up to the image his golden child left behind. 

****

What was it that Isaac truly enjoyed doing? When he closed his eyes, what did he think of, what made him happy? The answer always seemed to take him back to the same place, the same person. 

****

_**Her.**_

****

Vanessa O’Connor. 

****

He felt happy at the Winter Formal when Vanessa leaned down to whisper in his ear conspiratorially as if they were partners in a crime show, “ _How about you try and steal as much food as you can for us to binge on while I distract everyone with my dashing good looks?_ ” 

****

He felt pride when she skipped up to where he had been sitting at the top of the bleachers in the school gym, throwing her arms out to give him a side hug as she declared dramatically “ _Show me what bounty you returned with!_ ” 

****

He felt like it was the first time he was discovering what fun even was as the music played around them, with Vanessa spinning around his arms, with his hands on her waist as she moved their bodies in sync by their joint hands, moving against him in a way that set him on fire and calmed his soul simultaneously. 

****

When Vanessa grinned up at him, he felt warmth spread from all the places they touched, from the palms of their hands to the small of her back and from the air he breathed as he followed her lead and for the first time, felt like he was free to laugh. 

****

He felt like he was being taught how to have fun when Vanessa slipped her hand into his, leading him out of the building. He felt alive as the cool air blew at her skirt and hair as she dragged him into a dark corner, pulling him close to her. 

****

“ _Is this okay?_ ” she had asked him when she noticed him blinking down at her nervously. 

****

“ _Yeah, this is_ ,” Isaac had stammered out, nodding his head as his eyes searched hers, “ _ **More** than okay._” 

****

He remembered the way she laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and staring up at him like she was going to show him what it felt like to have a good time as she asked softly, “ _Are we going to keep talking about how okay this is, or are we going to **do** something about it, Lahey?_” 

****

And it wasn’t just that night at the Winter Formal. Every moment he spent with her made him feel lighter, like he was just a kid. Like he was allowed to laugh and be happy without it being shoved into his face how he was alive while Camden wasn’t. 

****

He remembered that moment in her bedroom, two days after Derek let Scott and Stiles take Jackson away, when Vanessa spun on him and gave him a smirk that spelled trouble as she asked, “ _We have three things we can do. We have to do all three things by the end of the day, but I will let you pick which one we can do first. Make out, Study or Movie?_ ” 

****

A faint smile ghosted his lips as he remembered how he thought it was a stupid question, how he had chased her mouth and pulled her down onto her bed and kissed her senseless. 

****

He remembered how Vanessa insisted that they needed to go on a proper date after officially dating for three weeks. How she dragged him out of the house and how they rode around town in her Ford, singing along to whoever came onto the radio. He remembered throwing his head back laughing as she sang along to _Forget You_ by Ceelo Green, clicking her fingers with attitude as she shot him impish grins before turning back to give the song her all. 

****

Isaac especially thought of how the sunlight filtered in from the diner windows, causing the sapphire blue in Vanessa’s eyes to glitter mischievously as she sat across from him and informed him, “ _We’re playing Twenty Questions._ ” 

****

His idea of fun was finding out all the quirky little things that made her who she was, like how they had the same favorite color - it was blue - and how Chucky was a good enough horror movie that it made her throw her barbie dolls out when she was ten. 

****

“ _You watched Chucky when you were **ten**?_” He remembered repeating, not being able to fathom how someone’s parents could let them watch a movie about a killer doll at **ten years old**. 

****

“ _Of course_ ,” Vanessa had blinked back at him innocently, “ _Didn’t everyone?_ ” 

****

“ _Um no, Beautiful, I’m pretty sure they waited until they were a little bit older. Nice to know you played with Barbies though._ ” 

****

“ _Isaac, I was a ten-year-old girl. Of course, I played with Barbies,_ ” she had rolled her eyes before grinning, “ _Don’t tell them I told you this, but so did Scott and Stiles._ ” 

****

“Do you know how rude it is to ignore people when they’re talking to you?!” Stiles’ irritating, high-pitched voice snapped him out of his reminiscing. Isaac groaned internally as he turned around to scowl at the boy, “This is, like, the second time today that you’ve zoned out on me!” 

****

Stiles held up his index finger and thumb and brushed them against one another as he gritted out, “I’m literally _this close_ to slapping you. Just because, no other reason.” 

****

Isaac’s brows lifted up as if he was surprised before he revealed in a matter-of-fact tone, “I honestly forgot that you were even here.” 

****

“Wha - _what?!_ **WHAT?!** ” Stiles screeched, looking like he was genuinely going to follow through with his threat about slapping him, “How did you forget - _we’re in my freakin’ car!_ ” 

****

Isaac cleared his throat, his brows furrowing as he looked between Stiles and the station as if he were confused, knowing that his indifference would get on the boy’s nerves, “Look, are we going in or are we just going to sit here and hope your dad comes out and gives us the files?” 

****

He opened his car door and hopped out, leaving Stiles sitting there in the jeep slack-jawed and on the brink of exploding. Isaac had made it up the stairs when he heard the boy let out a low scream of frustration. He kept his nonchalant expression, even as the sound of the car door opened and slammed shut behind him. 

****

Stiles muttered darkly to himself about how Isaac “was the one wasting time spacing out and offering nothing but useless comebacks” and how he should have “left his furry ass in the jeep” all the way up the sidewalk and up the stairs to where Isaac stood. 

****

Without a glance at the taller boy, Stiles stormed into the station and let the door swing close in Isaac’s face. 

****

Isaac smirked slightly at that and entered after him, finding that Stiles was already at the front desk. 

****

“ - I’m just dropping by to get the keys from him. I’m going to be at Lacrosse practice all afternoon so - “ Stiles was saying to the lady behind the desk, leaning his lanky body on it in what was assumed to be a ‘casual’ position. 

****

Isaac watched with a grin as Stiles stumbled to catch himself as he began to slip and took a seat to wait for his plan to inevitably blow up in his face when the door behind them swung open once more. 

****

“Stiles?” Sarah’s voice called out to them, causing Isaac to stiffen up in his seat. He jerked his head up at the female deputy standing at the door with her hands full of the boxes they had seen her carry through the cafeteria. 

****

The woman grunted as she hefted them up, peering around them to meet Isaac’s wide-eyed gaze from where he sat in his chair, “Isaac? What are you doing here?” 

****

Swallowing hard, the two boys exchanged a panicked glance before Stiles opened his mouth. 

****

“Oh, we’re just here to - “ 

****

“I wanted to give my statement,” Isaac stood up from his chair, his shoulders slouched with his hands shoved in his jean pockets as he stared at the woman’s steel-capped boots in an attempt to avoid her suspicious gaze, “About Matt and everything. About why he did what he did.” 

****

Stiles’ head whipped between Sarah and Isaac, his eyes popping out of his head. Isaac could practically hear the boy screeching in that incessant high pitched voice, _WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PLAN?! WE HAD A PLAN, ISAAC!_

****

“The case is closed, kid. There’s no need for you to - “ 

****

“I know,” he interrupted her, shrinking back when he saw her raised brows, “I just - I just meant that - with Sheriff Stilinski as, you know, _the Sheriff_ again - I thought that he would want everything done by the book. And I heard that the evidence he gathered was destroyed and everything - “ 

****

Isaac trailed off. He didn’t know what the fuck he was doing. He had no plan. Hell, he knew it as soon as he opened his mouth. But with Sarah standing there in front of him, not looking like she was going to murder him for the first time since she made him make her that promise on Friday morning, he couldn’t just sit there silently. He needed to try to - try to show her that he wasn’t a monster, like Matt was. That none of them were. That they could be trusted. 

****

_I love your daughter_ , he wanted to tell her, wanted to get on his knees and beg, _I would never do anything to hurt her, and I would die before I let someone else do it. I’m sorry that I couldn’t do that on Wednesday night but I swear, I’ll never let it happen again._

****

He wanted to, but that would be a lie. 

****

Where was he, that night Vanessa got thrown into a wall at the school pool? Where was he, when she was hallucinating that he died at Lydia Martin’s birthday? Where was he, when she was thrown through a desk? 

****

He was either too late or not there and he didn’t have the heart to lie or tell the truth to the woman staring him down. But he wanted to try, he owed Vanessa that. To try to change her mothers’ minds about him and about their friends. 

****

Sarah narrowed her eyes at him, considering what he was saying before letting out a long sigh that made him cringe from the pure exhaustion he heard in it. 

****

p“You have a point. It’s better that we get as much information as possible before we file it away as closed. Thank you, Isaac,” she conceded softly, readjusting the boxes in her arms, “If you’re submitting evidence for the Matt Daehler case, we’re going to need the Sheriff there. Come with me.” 

****

Isaac felt the tension drain out of his shoulders and back as he nodded hastily, walking up to her. He stopped when he saw her shoulders stiffen and asked in a timid voice he hadn’t heard come out of his mouth since his father died, “Did you need help carrying those boxes, Deputy O’Connor?” 

****

Sarah’s brown eyes searched his and softened imperceptibly. She nodded and he leaned forward to take two of the boxes off of her hands while she turned to Stiles and jerked her chin for him to follow them, throwing over her shoulder, “I assume you’re his ride, Stiles?” 

****

“Yes,” Stiles squeaked out. Isaac and Sarah both raised a brow at him, with the former’s being a bit more menacing than the latters. Stiles shook himself out of his stupor and cleared his throat, 

****

“I mean, yeah, we - I mean - I am.” 

****

Isaac internally slapped a hand over his head at Stiles’ suspicious reply. Sarah just gave him a knowing look as she told him, “You can wait in your dad’s office while Isaac gives his statement, okay?” 

****

“Sounds good,” Stiles replied, nodding his head eagerly - a bit too eagerly. 

****

Isaac kicked his ankle from beside him and Stiles yelped. Sarah whipped around and both boys tried to play it off. 

****

“Tripped over my shoes,” Stiles laughed nervously. 

****

When Sarah turned around again, Stiles stopped his laughter and glared up at Isaac, snapping, 

****

“What the hell was that for?!” 

****

“You’re being way too obvious,” Isaac muttered under his breath, “Just chill the fuck out.” 

****

“ _I’m chill!_ ” Stiles protested defensively, “I can be chill! I way freakin’ chiller then you, that’s for sure!” 

****

Isaac rolled his eyes, scoffing, “Okay, whatever. Just remember who _actually_ got us past the front desk.” 

****

“That was pure freakin’ luck!” 

****

“Whatever you wanna call it.” 

****

“I’m calling it _pure freakin’ luck_.” 

****

“And I don’t really care.” 

****

“ _Fine_. Neither do I.” 

****

“Good for you,” Isaac grumbled under his breath. 

****

“If you boys are done bickering like an old married couple?” Sarah spoke up, capturing their attention as they came to a stop in front of the Sheriff’s office. 

****

The boys snapped their heads away from each other sheepishly, causing her to smile slightly, despite her reservations about the taller one. She balanced her box under one arm and used her free hand to open the door, revealing Sheriff Stilinski sitting behind his desk. 

****

“Hey Chief, I have some visitors for you,” she greeted him cheerily, walking inside and placing the box beside his desk as Sheriff Stilinski stood up, his face immediately wrinkling up as he saw his son in the doorway. 

****

“Stiles? What are you doing here?” 

****

“Hey, Dad,” Stiles waved awkwardly, leaning against the doorway, “I was giving Isaac a ride here. No big deal.” 

****

Isaac shot him a look that quite clearly said, What the fuck, dude? 

****

Stiles shot him one back that roughly translated to, _I PANICKED, GIVE ME A BREAK!_

****

Sheriff Stilinski’s eyes darted between the two boys as he drawled sarcastically, “Sureee. What’s _Isaac_ doing here, again?” 

****

Isaac placed the boxes in his arms beside the one Sarah put down and scratched his neck awkwardly as Sarah told the Sheriff, “He’s here because he wants to make a statement on the Matt Daehler case. He heard that your evidence was destroyed and he wanted to help out.” 

****

“I don’t really see how, kid,” Sheriff Stilinski sighed as he turned to the taller boy, “Matt’s dead. There’s nothing more to do about it.” 

****

“I know,” Isaac shuffled his feet nervously, giving Stiles a side-eyed glance before shrugging, “I just - he killed my dad, you know? I just - I just want to help you guys understand why he did what he did.” 

****

Both the Sheriff and Sarah softened, staring at him sympathetically. They nodded in understanding. Ever since his father’s murder, the truth about his home life had been pretty common knowledge, especially when he was arrested based on motive and Jackson’s statement about what he witnessed between Isaac and his father on the front lawn of their house. 

****

Sarah leaned down beside the Sheriff and murmured quietly to him, “It can’t hurt to have his statement, Chief. It’ll probably do him more good than it will do you. Give him closure, you know?” 

****

The Sheriff nodded, his face solemn as he looked across at the boy before standing up, “Alright. I’ll show you to the interview room, son.” 

****

The older man headed to the door, followed closely by Sarah and Isaac. He stopped beside his son and raised a brow at him. 

****

Stiles held his hands up in surrender and huffed, “I know, I know. Wait here, don’t wander off and don’t touch anything.” 

****

Sheriff Stilinski gave him a knowing look before informing him, “We won’t be long. An hour at most so don’t get any funny ideas.” 

****

Stiles rolled his eyes but nodded. The Sheriff continued on his way out, with Sarah at his back. Isaac smirked at Stiles before following the two out of the office. 

****

As soon as they disappeared around the corner that led to the interview room, Stiles shut the door quietly behind them and hurried over to his father’s file cabinet. He combed through the victim’s files in the A section and found Victoria Argent’s file. 

****

“Bingo,” he murmured to himself before taking a seat behind his father’s desk, “Let’s see what happened to you, Mrs. Argent.” 

****

With that, he opened up the manila folder and began reading. 

\- 

#### VANESSA AND LYDIA

They had been quiet for a while now, Lydia picking at her food while Vanessa sat back to process what she just heard.

****

It wasn’t possible. Dead people just didn’t come back to life.

****

Peter Hale was probably the _deadest_ person she knew. No one could survive being burnt alive by a Molotov Cocktail than have their throat slashed by a werewolf. If there were any doubts, they disappeared when Derek’s eyes turned red after he walked away from his uncle’s burnt and bloody corpse. 

****

The only way for a werewolf to become an Alpha was to steal their power. By killing them.

****

Simple as that. Or at least, Vanessa hoped so.

****

Despite how much she pretended like she took this stuff with a grain of salt, she was still learning. She put on a tough face in front of her friends but in reality, the only reason she knew the stuff she did was because she went directly to the source.

****

Derek had told her everything she knew about werewolves. 

****

He had never, ever once said anything about the dead coming back to life.

****

Vanessa’s eyes flickered up to stare at the girl across the table from her, taking in the way her hands shook around the knife and fork she held and the way that her cheeks had track marks down them where her tears had paved a path through her foundation and blush.

****

_Lydia would hate it if people saw her like this_ , she sighed to herself before digging into her meal, making a point to keep her voice low when she whispered across to the strawberry blonde.

****

“Hey, just letting you know, your makeup is a little bit messy. Just, if you want to do a touch-up or something.”

****

Lydia stilled from where she was poking around the salad on her plate. Her ruby lips pursued in displeasure before she straightened up. She slipped a hand into her purse and pulled out her compact mirror, flipping it open with a slight flick of her wrist. Her thumb ran along under her eyes to rub at any mascara that had run but she found it clean. She pulled out a makeup brush and began to make quick work of covering up any evidence that she had been crying.

****

Vanessa raised a hand to signal to the waitress that they were done and looked across at her friend to tell her, “Let’s head back to mine.”

****

Lydia nodded, running a hand through her hair before taking her wallet out of her purse.

****

“This one’s on me,” Vanessa protested, shaking her own wallet.

****

Lydia eyed it skeptically before scoffing, “Sweetie, _please_. Like I’m going to let someone pay for a meal at a cheap place like this.”

****

“Lydia, _please_ ,” the brunette mimicked in the same sugary-sweet tone her friend used, “Drop the act that you aren’t even slightly attached to this place. If it were as cheap as you say, you wouldn’t be eating here.”

****

The strawberry blonde girl rolled her eyes but didn’t deny it.

****

“Still. I’m paying.”

****

Vanessa raised a brow before shrugging, “Whatever. Free meal.”

****

Vanessa waited for Lydia at the front door while the other girl went up to the counter to pay. 

****

When she was done, the two walked out to the car park and jumped into Lydia’s car. 

****

Once they were back on the main road, heading for Vanessa’s house, Lydia finally spoke up.

****

“So, you never did answer my question about what was up with you and your mom?”

****

“Didn’t I?” Vanessa replied absentmindedly, her fingers tracing circles in the leather upholstery of the side door.  


“No, you didn’t,” Lydia shook her head with a small smile, “I told you about my hellish week. It’s only fair that you do the same in return.”

****

“Wow, does Lydia Martin actually… _care_ about how someone else?”

****

Lydia rolled her eyes, “Don’t avoid the subject.”

****

“ _Fine_ ,” the brunette huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, “My folks found out about everything going on and they didn’t take it so well.”

****

From the corner of her eye, Vanessa saw Lydia raise a brow.

****

“When you say everything…”

****

“I mean _**everything**_.”

****

“That’s why she wants you home straight after school?” 

****

“Yep. The only reason she let me hang out with you was because, as far as she knows, you’re just a plain ole’ human that has no clue about all the things that go bump in the night.”

****

The first was debatable, what with their limited knowledge of how her immunity to the werewolf bite Peter gave her worked and why she was having visions of said werewolf but the second one was easy to hide from Sarah and Lisa. As far as the two women knew, Lydia was just an unwitting pawn that got caught up in all the supernatural crap because of her close friendships with Scott, Stiles, Allison, and Vanessa.

****

“What about Stiles?”

****

“Scott and Stiles are a package deal. If I’m not allowed to see one, I can’t see the other.”

****

Lydia hummed thoughtfully before asking, “How did they find out? Your parents, I mean?”

****

Vanessa sighed and ran a hand through her dark brown tresses, “Let’s just say, the hell that went down at your party _paled_ in comparison to what we had to deal with afterwards.”

****

“Meaning… **what** exactly?”

****

“Meaning that we basically confirmed that Matt was the kanima’s master.”

****

Lydia’s hands on the steering wheel tightened as she asked quietly, “The guy who was stalking Allison? He was the one who…who was controlling Jackson? Who made him kill all those people?”

****

Vanessa glanced at the strawberry blonde. Her jaw was tight, and her teeth ground together from the force of her anger. There were tears welling up in her green eyes. Lydia might claim to be over her ex-boyfriend but the fact that someone had forced him to do such terrible things made her stomach drop.

****

Vanessa averted her eyes and nodded, “Yeah, he was. Scott, Stiles and I headed to the station to get a few things confirmed. Scott called his mom to check security footage at the hospital to see if we could place Matt there the night a survivor of one of the kanima attacks was murdered.”

****

“A survivor of a kanima attack? You mean she wasn’t killed in the initial attack?”

****

“No,” Vanessa shook her head, “For some reason, the kanima…Jackson couldn’t kill her. We don’t know for sure, but we have some theories on why.”

****

“And those are?”

****

“For one, the lore states that a kanima only goes after murderers, those who have killed. Killing a pregnant woman would not only kill the woman, but the child as well. As for our other theory,” Vanessa glanced over at Lydia, glancing down at the chain that sat on her collarbones and disappeared down her blouse. She looked back up at the strawberry blonde’s face and continued in a soft voice, “We found out that Jackson was adopted – which I’m sure you already knew.”

****

Lydia’s face pinched at that. Vanessa’s lips twitched.

****

“His biological parents were killed in a car accident on the night he was born. They had to perform a C-section on his mother post-mortem – “

****

“ **AND?!** What’s your point?!”

****

Vanessa leaned back to appraise the girl, raising a brow at the strawberry blonde’s outburst.

****

“My point is, maybe the kanima didn’t kill that woman because he didn’t want it to end up like him. An orphan. Maybe, just maybe, Lydia, there is a piece of Jackson still in there. Maybe he can be saved.”

****

Lydia pulled into the driveway, put the car into park, and turned in her seat to face Vanessa head-on.  


****

“But Matt’s dead. Shouldn’t he already be saved?”  


****

Vanessa bit down on her bottom lip, chewing it as she thought it over.  


****

“He should be. I haven’t heard anything from the others about it and there hasn’t been a single attack since Wednesday night. However…”  


****

She thought about how Matt’s body was found on the banks of the river, his body bloated from all the water he inhaled. Most would find it ironic that the boy would die from drowning not once, but twice in his life.  


****

Vanessa, however, found it suspicious.  


****

There’s no way that Matt would have ever been in the river that night. Not after that whole speech about how traumatized he was from drowning the first time around. Not after the way he thrashed in the arms of those boys who had attempted to throw him into the pool at Lydia’s party. Not after he screamed and cried about how he couldn’t swim.  


****

No, Matt wouldn’t have been in that river. Not by **choice**.  


****

“Just in case, I need you to do something for me…or more accurately, for Jackson.”  


****

Lydia’s lips pursued. She examined her fingernails in a manner too abrupt to be casual.  


****

“Why would I do anything for him?”  


****

“I thought we agreed to drop the act around each other?” Vanessa nudged her with a small, playful smile on her lips, “We both know you still love him. I can’t believe we have to go over this again.”  


****

“So, how about we don’t,” Lydia retorted in a short tone, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She looked up to fix her review mirror, all the while murmuring softly under her breath, “Let’s just say your right. What can I do?”  


****

“Since I’ve been cut off from the group, I can’t go around involving myself in supernatural crap. Especially when Jackson’s concerned. You, on the other hand, can watch out for him without raising his suspicions.”  


****

Lydia turned away with a sniff, “Haven’t you heard? Jackson **hates** me. He won’t let me near him.”  


****

“He doesn’t have to like you to let you near him, Lydia. He just has to love you.”  


****

The strawberry blonde froze up, “What?”  


****

“I think the reason he pushed you aside was because, deep down, he didn’t want you to get hurt. He knew that whatever he was becoming would put you in danger. So, of course, he would say that hates you to push you away.”  


****

Vanessa put a hand on her friend’s arm and told her, “Jackson thinks that you don’t know anything. That you're just someone who’s always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Therefore, he won’t be suspicious of you watching out for him because he knows that you’re doing it, not to keep an eye on him but because you love him.”  


****

“So, show him that you’re still there for him. Show him that no matter what or who he becomes, he’s not going to push you out of his life,” Vanessa whispered softly, patting Lydia’s hand before turning away, “Look, just keep an eye on him. Take note of his behaviour, whether he is acting weirdly or if he’s acting like his old self. If he’s walking, talking or breathing like someone who isn’t an arrogant but deeply insecure asshole than we know that something else is going on.”  


****

“And if there _is_ something else going on? If he’s hasn’t been saved.”  


****

“Scott and Stiles will have your back if they think you’re in danger. As to if he’s been saved or not,” Vanessa trailed off, sighing heavily, “I suppose that will depend on the others. But if I know Scott, he won’t stop until Jackson’s saved.”  


****

Vanessa’s fingers wrapped around the handle of the car door and she pulled it open with a click. She was about to hop out and head up to her house when Lydia’s hand encircled her arm, pulling her back.  


****

“Wait,” the strawberry blonde spoke up, gripping her arm tightly, “What about…what about Peter?”  


****

The brunette paused. A terrified wince passed over her face before she shook it off.  


****

“I don’t know if what you saw was real, Lydia. If it wasn’t, then it could be the side effects of the wolfsbane that you were in possession of but if it was real – and I really hope it wasn’t – if Peter Hale really is roaming around Beacon Hills again, we’ll find out soon enough. But he won’t come after you, I can promise you that.”  


****

With that, Vanessa gently slid out of Lydia’s grasp and out of the car, shutting the door behind her without another word.  


****

_Please let it be the wolfsbane because I am so **not** equipped to deal with an undead, murderous Uncle Peter. Not today._  


\- 

#### ISAAC AND STILES

****

**_4:45 PM_ **

****

“Isaac, in your own words, can you please describe the events that occurred in the summer of 2006?”  


****

Isaac sat in the recently refurbished interview room. They had fixed the door that had been blown off it’s hinges by an unknown person or persons, Sarah had told him. Any security cameras from that night had been turned off by Matt prior to his attack and therefore they had no clue who was responsible for the damages to the interview room.  


****

However, the longer Isaac stared at the indentation in the concrete wall, the longer he suspected that it was probably either Derek or Scott. Isaac had his bets on the latter though. Scott was the one who took Stiles and Vanessa somewhere safe. Isaac assumed that he broke the door handle to make sure that no one could get to the other two, who he probably locked inside.  


****

That doesn’t explain how the door itself was broken entirely off it’s hinges, Isaac frowned to himself as he considered the brand-new silver hinges on the door, How did Vanessa and Stiles make it to the cells if the door was locked from the outside?  


****

It made him anxious to get out of there as soon as possible and demand that Stiles tell him everything that happened before him and Vanessa appeared in the cells.  


****

“Isaac?”  


****

He whipped his head up to find Sarah and Sheriff Stilinski staring at him expectantly. The former’s eyes were creased in what he thought might have been concern as she asked, “Is everything okay?”  


****

Isaac shook himself out of his momentary daze and apologized hastily.  


****

“What was the question again, sorry?”  


****

Sarah’s lips tightened, “Could you please describe, in your own words, the events that occurred in the summer of 2006?”  


****

Isaac nodded, licking his lips nervously, “Right. It was the night before summer break. School had just let out and my brother and his friends had just graduated. My father, who was the coach of the Beacon Hills Swim Team back then, had invited the team to our house so that they could celebrate. They had just won championships.”  


****

“My mother and father were going out that night. My father left Camden in charge.”  


****

“Can you elaborate on what you mean when you say ‘in charge’?”  


****

He cleared his throat, “He gave Camden the key to the liquor cabinet. He said that they, the swim team, I mean, deserved to ‘let loose’ and ‘have some fun’. He told them as long as they didn’t make too much noise and they all behaved responsibly, that he shouldn’t see a reason why they couldn’t drink.”  


****

“Coach Lahey endorsed their underage drinking? They were all seventeen, yes?”  


****

Isaac nodded, “Yes.”  


****

“Please, continue.”  


****

"That same day, I invited Matt Daehler over to my house so that we could trade comic books. I don’t recall what comic it was that he wanted but it had been one that I had that was missing from his collection. I offered to trade him the volume for one that he had, that I hadn’t read yet.”  


****

Sheriff Stilinski leaned forward on his forearms, cutting in to ask, “Would you describe yourself and Matt Daehler as being ‘good friends’?”  


****

“In middle school, yes. After that summer and once we went on to Junior High, we drifted apart. I think it was because of that night.”  


****

The Sheriff wrote some notes and Sarah nodded her head for him to continue on.  


****

“Matt told me he was heading home around seven. It was already dark outside. I went to the bathroom to have a shower before crashing but before I left, I heard some high-pitched screams and a loud splashing sound afterwards.”  


****

Isaac ducked his head, his eyes darkening as he told the two adults, “I thought my brother and his friends were messing around. I had been hearing the girls screaming like that for about half an hour, usually after one of the guys had thrown them in. I leaned outside my window to tell Camden to keep the noise down otherwise we would be getting a noise complaint.”  


****

“What did you see when you looked outside?”  


****

“I saw my brother standing over the edge of the pool. There were a lot of bubbles and it looked like there was someone flailing under the water. I could only see maybe three of his friends sitting in the shallow end of the pool, but they didn’t act like there was anything wrong. I assumed that Camden had thrown one of the girls in, Kara or someone.”  


****

“What did you do after that, Isaac?”  


****

He averted his eyes in shame, “I went to the bathroom and had my shower. I was heading off to bed when I heard my dad outside, screaming his head off. I thought that maybe Camden and his friends were just drunk, that they emptied out the liquor cabinet or something stupid like that. But then…”  


****

“Then what?”  


****

He looked up and made eye contact with Sarah. The woman raised a brow before her eyes widened in understanding. She gave him an imperceptible nod and took over for him. Sarah leaned in to whisper to Sheriff Stilinski, “Stiles had been talking to Isaac. All four of them probably worked together.”  


****

“All four of us?” Isaac spoke up with a small frown.  


****

“You, Scott, Stiles…and Vanessa. You were all there that night at the station,” Sarah turned to him as she explained in a matter-of-fact tone, “Scott, Stiles and Vanessa approached Sheriff Stilinski late Wednesday night with evidence that they found linking Matt Daehler to the murders, including the dreams you had been having for a week. Stiles suggested to Sheriff Stilinski that these dreams might have been flashbacks that were triggered by a confrontation between you and Matt Daehler on Monday, March 20th. This confrontation was witnessed by Vanessa. Correct?”  


****

Isaac’s frown deepened but he nodded that she was correct.  


****

Sarah jutted out her chin in satisfaction before continuing on, “Stiles put forward that your flashbacks showed Matt’s motivation for killing the 2006 swim team: they had indirectly caused him to drown in the swimming pool. Coach Lahey’s decision to allow them to drink had led to this incident and therefore Matt held a grudge against him too.”  


****

“It wasn’t just that,” Isaac muttered bitterly under his breath.  


****

Sarah’s brows furrowed, “Pardon?”  


****

“It wasn’t just that my dad allowed them to drink,” Isaac explained in a louder voice, “I think when my dad came back, he found Matt in the pool. I think he was the one who dragged him out and I think Matt was the one I heard him screaming at.”  


****

Sheriff Stilinski flipped through his notes and nodded in agreement, pointing his pen at one of the pages as he told Sarah, “Scott said that when Matt took them into the main office, he told them that Coach Lahey had threatened him that night after giving him CPR. He apparently said, and this is a quote, ‘You tell no one! This – this is your fault! You don’t know how to swim? What little bastard doesn’t know how to swim? You say nothing! You tell no one! NO ONE!’ end quote.”  


****

Sarah nodded back. Isaac swallowed hard.  


****

_Yeah, that definitely sounds like Dad_ , he thought to himself, his hands growing sweaty from where they were clenched against his jean-clad thigh. Isaac could practically see the old man now, hovering over him with sweat peppering his forehead and the smell of it wafting his nose as his father spat in his face.  


_It’s all your fault. You worthless, spineless little bastard! Your brother actually did something worthwhile with his life while you lazed around all day, eating the food that I put on the goddamn table! Your mother died, your brother died and they left me alone with a stupid, little brat that can’t do anything right._  


****

Fuck, it was like he was thirteen again, shivering in fear in the corner of the dining room, trying to shrink himself down so small so there would be less places for his father to hit. The way he sagged in the old man’s grip when his stubby, oily fingers wrapped around his skinny wrist and dragged him down to the basement, throwing him inside the freezer.  


****

All the while the old man sang, _I wish it was you, I wish it was you, I wish it was you –_  


****

“Isaac?” Sarah’s voice spoke up quietly, a little unsure as she came around the side of the table.  


****

He didn’t realize it but he had shut his eyes. When he opened them and looked down, he found that he had dug his fingernails into his legs. Somewhere along the lines, those fingernails had turned into claws. Blood oozed from the rips in his jeans and he tore his hand away and hid it behind his back, out of sight from Sheriff Stilinski.  


****

But he couldn’t hide his bloody jeans from Sarah, who slowly crouched down beside him so that her chin was level with the surface of the table they sat at. Her brown eyes immediately went to the dark stain and the ruby red liquid glistening from the tears.  


****

She met his gaze and opened her mouth, “Hey, Chief, I think we’re done here. We got everything we needed right?”  


****

Sheriff Stilinski caught the tone in her voice and nodded his head, “Yeah, I think so. Thanks for coming in, Isaac. I appreciate it.”  


****

“It’s no problem,” Isaac croaked, his voice catching at the end. To his credit, Sheriff Stilinski didn’t remark on it. The older man gave him a tight lip smile, his eyes creasing in sympathy before he made his way out.  


****

Before he left, however, the Sheriff called over his shoulder to tell them, “I’m going to tell Stiles we’re done here. We’ll be at the front so he can give you a ride.”  


****

Isaac nodded but didn’t raise his head. He heard the door click close and he sniffed, using his clean hand to wipe at his face.  


****

He heard Sarah sigh from his right, “Are you going to be okay, kid?”  


****

He nodded.  


****

From his peripheral vision, he saw her shake her head, “Do you need some tissues for that?”  


****

Isaac shrugged, “Nah, it’ll heal by the time I get back to – “  


****

He cut off, eyes wide. He glanced at Sarah nervously and found the woman frowning up at him.  


****

“You heal that quickly?”  


****

There was no accusation, no disgust in her tone. Only mild surprise.  


****

He scratched the back of his neck, “Actually, it’ll probably close up in a few minutes.”  


****

“Those were from your...claws?”  


****

“Yeah,” he admitted quietly, slowly bringing them out in front of him. Sarah flinched slightly and he hurried to reassure her, “I’m fine now. I just – when the Sheriff read out what my father had said – it – “  


****

“It reminded you of all the stuff he said to you,” Sarah nodded with a knowing look in her eye. She glanced down at his claws and her eyes widened as she watched them descend back into blunt fingernails. She looked back up at him with furrowed brows and asked slowly, “Does that always happen? You…losing control like that.”  


****

Isaac stiffened in his seat.  


****

_Shit, she thinks I’m a fucking loose cannon. A ticking fucking timebomb just ready to go off. A monster on a fucking leash. She must be relieved that she saved her daughter in time before this creature lost control and slaughtered her._  


****

A soft, tinkling laugh resounded at the thought and a voice that sounded suspiciously like the said daughter of the woman kneeling beside him sang in his ear, _Silly, what did I tell you? You’ll never be a monster, not to me. And if you don’t believe, then fine. But if you’re going to be a monster, you’re my monster._

****

_And I will always be there for you._  


****

His hands moved so that they were flat on the table as he got to his feet, Sarah following suit. He looked down at the smaller woman and took a deep breath before telling her, “Derek told me that it’s common, for new...werewolves to struggle at first with controlling their shift. The only way to control it completely is to either find yourself an Anchor or a Mate.”  


****

Isaac looked Sarah right in the eye and revealed, “Deputy O’Connor, to me, your daughter is both. She is the one person I would never hurt. Never. Despite that, I know you still think that the others and myself are a danger to her. And we’re working on that.”  


****

Sarah’s brows kissed her hairline at that, and he couldn’t help the humorless twitch of his lips at the sight of her disbelief.  


****

“But we aren’t monsters and we can learn control. It’s one of the things Derek is teaching us to learn. Vanessa was helping him until…”  


****

Sarah’s breath hitched slightly, and he hurried along, “Your daughter is the reason we’re like this, Deputy O’Connor. Without her, I would still be in my dad’s house, getting shoved into that goddamn freezer every night. Without her, Erica would still be suffering from her epilepsy and her depression. Without her, Boyd would be alone, with no friends and nowhere to belong.”  


****

“We owe everything to Vanessa. So, we’re going to do our best to make this town safe for her, for you, and the rest of your family. No matter what it takes.”  


****

Isaac gave her a small, sad smile as he walked towards the door. He stopped with his fingers around the door handle and said to her over his shoulder, “Thank you. For getting the Sheriff to talk to me.”  


****

He opened the door and started down the hall. After a few seconds, he heard the door open after him and heard Sarah call out, “Kid, wait up!”  


****

He stopped, his shoulders slouching in disappointment. He wasn't shocked though. He was fully prepared for the older woman to go off at him, to tell him that he could say whatever he wanted but she couldn’t put her trust in the hands of a bunch of kids who turned into beasts during the full moon.  


****

However, when he turned around, he found Sarah right in front of him. The woman’s forehead was pinched in apprehension as her hand came up to hover over his shoulder before she finally set it down.  


****

For a moment, she stared up at him quietly, as if she was taking the time to truly consider what she was going to say next.  


****

When she opened up her mouth, she said something he did not expect her to say.  


****

“I might have my doubts. I might not trust that you or Scott or whoever else happens to grow furry once a month won’t lose control and hurt my daughter. I might not want her running around fighting weird lizard thingys and getting herself hurt but – “  


****

Her brown eyes softened at the edges and a small, motherly smile appeared on her lips as she told him quietly, “You can still call me Sarah. Okay?”  


****

-  


****

**_5:00 PM_**  


****

Isaac found Stiles waiting outside the station, leaning against his jeep and tapping his foot anxiously, his phone gripped tight in his hand. When the boy caught him rushing down the steps, he gave an audible sigh of relief before jerking his head at him.  


****

“Come on, let’s get out of here.”  


****

He followed Stiles into the jeep, clicking the seatbelt over him before turning to the boy and asking, “Did you get the file?”  


****

“It’s all on my phone,” Stiles told him, tossing his phone into Isaac’s lap, “Even got the photos.”  


****

Isaac scoffed, scrunching his nose up as he opened up the phone to the gallery where the pictures were, “And you say that we’re gruesome…”  


****

Stiles gave a long-suffering sigh and rolled his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug.  


****

“We’re going to need the crime scene photos so that we can see if there is anything that the police might have overlooked. Like, some supernatural stuff they might have overlooked, I mean.”  


****

Isaac nodded. It made sense, especially since Stiles told them at Scott’s house that Vanessa wanted them to bring the autopsy and police reports to Deaton at the clinic. She said that he was the one who identified the kanima as the one committing the killings and that the hunters implied that he has done that sort of thing for them before.  


****

He still wasn’t so sure about this Dr. Deaton guy. It was just the way he cryptically responded whenever Isaac asked him what he was.  


****

“ _I’m a veterinarian,_ ” the older man would respond in a matter-of-fact tone.  


****

Yeah, no shit. He wasn’t stupid. Isaac didn’t mean what did he do for a living. He meant, how was he involved in all of this? What made him qualified to know about them? What was his role in this world?  


****

Admittingly, Isaac always asked these kinds of questions whenever they were in the middle of some big problem they needed help with. It would be kind of a waste of time for the man to explain what brought him to working at the vet while helping supernaturals on the side, especially during the whole ‘the kanima is growing stronger every full moon, we need to get on that, like, right now’ thing.  


****

But Matt was dead. Jackson was…well, seemingly normal. The guy had even shown up at lacrosse practice, acting like nothing was wrong. Surely, Deaton could give them some answers now that they were at a temporary stalemate.  


****

There hadn’t been an attack since Wednesday night, nor had the kanima been sighted around Beacon Hills since Matt’s body showed up in the river. Even the hunters hadn’t initiated an attack since their failed attempt to kill Derek at the police station.  


****

Boyd had suggested that maybe, now that Matt was dead and the attacks had seemingly stopped, the hunters had backed off.  


****

Derek had his doubts though. He had the three Betas running around all weekend, trying to catch a scent that would show that the kanima was still active. 

****

They had been doing patrols around Jackson’s house for two nights now and nothing came up.  


****

Personally, Isaac thought the Alpha was just trying to keep them busy so they wouldn’t get up to trouble. Specifically, **him**.  


****

But, in light of the tasks Vanessa had given Stiles and Erica, Isaac thought that maybe Derek might be onto something.  


****

Derek had been quiet about what had happened after everything went down at the police station that Wednesday night. When Isaac came around after his fight with the kanima, he found both his Alpha and Scott missing, Vanessa unconscious, the Sheriff waking up from his own slug to the head and Melissa McCall and Sarah still behind bars.  


****

After he let Sarah and Mrs. McCall out of the cells so they could call an ambulance, Isaac had lumbered over to where Stiles was propped up against the wall, Vanessa’s unconscious body dragged across his lap.  


****

He remembered falling over in front of the two and croaking out, “ _What happened?_ ”  


****

Stiles’ eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying when they looked up at him. The boy had then, in a quiet voice wet with tears, told him about how after Isaac was knocked out, Matt and the kanima made a run for it. Scott and Derek went after it.  


****

He had than mentioned how Scott’s mom saw him shift.  


****

That would explain why Mrs. McCall had been crouched in the corner, rocking herself gently as she stared at the hallway her son had disappeared down in despair.  


****

He didn’t see Scott for the rest of the night and only met up with Derek just as the ambulance pulled into the car park. In the chaos that proceeded, Isaac had attempted to follow Sarah into the same ambulance that Vanessa had been loaded on, but Derek had stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder.  


****

“ _No. We’ll meet them at the hospital._ ”  


****

It had taken everything in him not to break out of Derek’s hold and jump in after the two O’Connor women but when he made to move, Sarah had looked over his shoulder and pierced him with such a terrified look that he froze up, making it easier for Derek to drag him over to his car.  


****

Derek didn’t say a word to him about where he went after Isaac passed out, only that he wasn’t the one who killed Matt.  


****

Isaac didn’t miss the part where he admitted Matt had been killed.  


****

“ - and once again, your spacing out on me,” Stiles drawled from beside him, bringing him out of his thoughts, “You know, if it were anyone else, they would have thought you were kind of sicko staring at the phone with all those crime scene photos opened like that. But because this is, like, the third time you’ve blanked on me today, I’m well versed in the fact that you’re a million miles away by now.”  


****

“I wish I was a million miles away right now,” Isaac muttered back before he began swiping through the photos, pausing on the actual reports to read the police statement.  


****

“Okay, that hurts,” Stiles murmured back, scoffing as he turned off Main Street to head to the Warehouse District, “Not as much as if you were a genuinely a nice person to be around, but still.”  


****

“Geez, that really makes me wanna be a better person.”  


****

“ _Funny_ ,” Stiles gave him a dry look before pulling into the underground parking lot in the abandoned railroad depot, “This was fun but let’s never do it again, yeah?”  


****

“Couldn’t agree more – “ Isaac looked forward with a humorless smirk before going pale. His sentence trailed off, picked up again by Stiles’ surprised yelp when the boy slammed his foot on the breaks.  


****

“Ohhh, we are so fucking screwed,” Isaac breathed out, glancing in panic between the boy in the driver’s seat and the figure that was standing a few inches from the hood of Stiles’ jeep, whose eyes were narrowed in a heated glare.  


****

Derek Hale didn’t flinch when the jeep barely stopped in time before it hit him.  


****

Maybe, it had something to do with the angry flare in his nostrils or the red seeping into his irises.  


****

All they knew was that Derek was fucking pissed and that spelled trouble for them both.  


\- 

#### ERICA AND SCOTT

****

**_5:30 PM_ **

****

To say the least, Scott was not happy to be spending three hours waiting at his house with Erica Reyes chatting off his ear about how he was being an idiot about Vanessa, about Allison and about, well, about everything.  


****

He had managed to keep his cool for two hours, watching the TV and trying to tune out the girl who had made herself at home, sprawled across his lounge as she went on and on about what he was wrong before he finally had enough.  


****

Scott lunged up from the couch and grabbed his keys from the bowl by the door.  


****

“Where’re you going? It’s only half-past five!” Erica argued, getting up after him to follow him out the door.  


****

“Yeah, well, it’s a wonder I’ve stayed sane for that long,” he muttered back after her, ripping open the door and storming outside, “Besides, I can’t show up at the hospital empty handed. I’m supposed to be dropping off dinner for my mom, remember?”  


****

Erica leaned back at his sarcastic tone, frowning at his back, “What’s your problem? You’re not acting like yourself.”  


****

Scott scoffed as he unlocked the car door. She went around to the passenger’s side and hopped in, spinning around immediately so that she was leaning on her side, her front facing the driver’s seat.  


****

“You don’t know me, Erica,” Scott mumbled as he put the keys into the ignition and started the car. His scowl didn’t falter as he placed an arm on her seat, turning his head to look behind him as he reversed out of the driveway and onto the street.  


****

Erica huffed and fell back into her own seat, grumbling to herself, “I might not have been friends with you, Scott, but I have known you and Stiles since the start of freshmen year. Vanessa always said out of the two of you, Stiles was the bark, and you were the puppy dog who couldn’t bite, couldn’t hurt a frickin’ fly. The sweet boy who always reigned the two of them in when they were at each other’s throats. This dickhead, brooding persona you’re putting on – it’s not you.”  


****

“Yeah? Well, it’s hard to remain a ‘good guy’ when everyone is pushing you to be something else. Allison is trying to get me to stay out of it, you guys are telling me to throw myself into it. Derek wants me to be more like him and Gerard – “  


****

He cut himself off, turning away with gritted teeth. He narrowed his eyes on the road, trying to swallow his frustration.  


****

Erica’s brows softened in sympathy, but her gaze remained hard, burning into the side of his head in a way that made the skin there itch.  


****

The blonde wasn’t one to let up, and she wouldn’t start now with Scott McCall.  


****

“Gerard, hey?” she murmured quietly, a brow lifted in interest, “So, Vanessa’s plan really **did** work. He reached out to you, didn’t he?”  


****

“Just drop it, okay?!” Scott snapped at her, but she didn’t flinch.  


****

Erica’s lips curled down, “I thought it was what you guys wanted. You know, for him to reach out to you. Get you an in.”  


****

“I said, drop it!” his voice dropped in low, timid whisper, “ _Please_.”  


****

She could sense that if she kept pushing, she would get nowhere. He’d probably even kick her out of the car, leave her stranded on the side of the road. She might not be one to let up, but she’s also not overly fond of walking around after dark in four-inch heels. Werewolf powers be damned.  


****

Erica sighed, her shoulders slouching as she threw hands up in surrender, “Fine. Whatever.”  


****

Scott sighed in relief, his fingers unclenching themselves from the white-knuckled grip he had on the steering wheel. He turned his head to her and muttered, “Thanks.”  


****

Erica looked down at where she was bouncing her phone in her lap, thinking about what the boy had revealed to her. After no word from Gerard, they had all assumed that he didn’t fall for the bait Vanessa had put out that day when she staged that little argument in the hall between her and Scott. The brunette had disregarded the plan to ignore her two best friends within a day of coming up with it, especially when they identified Jackson as the kanima that same night.  


Vanessa hadn’t mentioned Gerard reaching out so Erica could only assume that Scott was hiding it for some reason. Now, _that_ sounded like Scott, to hide something from the rest of them so that they didn’t get hurt. No matter how much he complained about everyone trying to force him further into the drama, he would do it without hesitation if it meant taking the burden off of his friends, especially Vanessa and Stiles.  


****

If Scott did manage to get an in with the head hunter, that could only mean that Gerard was up to something, something more than just hunting down and killing the werewolves out of revenge for his daughter’s death. If that were the reason, he wouldn’t think about working with a werewolf-like Scott.  


****

And Scott’s insistence that Vanessa needed to stay out of it, that she wouldn’t be targeted by Gerard only confirmed that Scott managed to wrangle the old man into some sort of deal in exchange for working for him. Whether that be against Derek or something else, Erica wasn’t sure.  


****

Her brown-eyed gaze traced the tick in his jaw and the way his forehead wrinkled between his brows in distress. He was strung tight with tension and was clearly on edge with this whole plan. If he was working with Gerard, then delving into Mrs. Argent’s death would be meddling with Gerard’s manipulations.  


****

Erica cocked her head, frowning at him. Scott was stubborn. She had learned that much when he had continuously rebuked Derek’s offer to join the pack. It wasn’t until the incident in the library that Scott relented and agreed to work with them and even that was tenuous at best. If Scott was truly in Gerard’s pocket, then he wouldn’t be going along with this plan.  


****

What if he had a plan of his own?  


****

Her lips pressed together at the thought and she nodded in consideration.  


****

The saying goes, it’s always the ones you least suspected.  


****

She didn’t think Scott had a deceptive bone in his body, but she could be wrong.  


****

The only person she could think of who could get to the bottom of things was currently stuck at home, probably curled up on her couch with a tub of ice cream in her lap, watching Scooby-Doo reruns as a replacement for her usual sleuthing.  


****

_Oh well_ , Erica’s lips curled up as she leaned her head against the car window, _There’s always first-period study hall._  


****

-  


****

**_5:45 PM_**  


****

The sun had started to disappear behind the hills of which the town was named after when Scott and Erica had parked in front of a little Thai restaurant on the corner of Main and Maybrook Street. It was quiet, as any Monday night would be, and there were only two others waiting besides the teenagers; a delivery boy waiting by his bike and a woman in her mid-twenties who looked as if she had just finished a busy day at the office.  


****

The two werewolves leaned against the wall outside the restaurant, with a metre or so in between them. Erica was playing Tetris on her brand new iPhone 4. Scott, meanwhile, figured his old flip-phone in the pocket of his ratty jeans and scowled at her as she whistled a catchy, cheery tune under her breath.  


****

As if sensing his jealousy, the blonde girl peered up from her screen and caught his eye. A mischievous smirk curled up on her red lips as she purred, “See something you like?”  


****

Scott’s scowl deepened and he looked away. Erica sidled up to his side, waving her phone in his face as she laughed, “I meant the _phone_ , dummy. Don’t think I didn’t notice you eyeing it.”  


****

The boy sighed, his shoulders loosening a bit as he said in an exasperated tone, “I thought Derek ran out of gifts to give you guys after the Bite.”  


****

“Huh?” Erica frowned up at him before realizing what he meant and scoffed, “This wasn’t from Derek. My dad gave me it.”  


****

“Oh. Cool.”  


****

“Yeah, it was an apology gift of sorts,” Erica explained, turning it over in front of her like it had some sort of secret clue hidden somewhere inside, “A late birthday present.”  


****

“It was your birthday?” Scott tilted his head.  


****

He wondered why Vanessa never mentioned it. The brunette loved birthday parties and went entirely nuts every time his or Stiles’ rolled around because it meant she could go all out. For Scott’s birthday two years ago, she had convinced Sarah to buy tickets to the ACDC Black Ice World Tour off of eBay. For Stiles’ birthday, six months later, she had convinced all of their parents to take them to see the actual concert in Nevada.  


****

Vanessa really took ‘go big or go home’ to the fullest extent of her power.  


****

So, everyone in Beacon Hills should have known when Erica Reyes’ birthday would have rolled around because the brunette would have made a big deal about it.  


****

His silent questions were eventually answered when Erica corrected him, “My birthday was in _February_. My dad gave me this phone a week ago.”  


****

Scott frowned. It was the 3rd of April, so it **was** kind of a late gift.  


****

“ _Actually_ ,” Erica let out a shaky laugh abruptly, “I wouldn’t say he **gave** it to me. I found it on the table last Monday with a note telling me that my mom and him were going away on business for the week and the phone was to make up for it.”  


****

“Right in time for the Full Moon,” Scott murmured under his breath.  


****

_She’s lucky_ , Scott thought quietly to himself as he watched the blonde girl, her parents were away. She didn’t have to worry about them being caught up in her first shift. He briefly found himself wishing that his mom had been away for the Full Moon.  


****

His mom hadn’t looked him in the eye since Wednesday night. When he came out of his room, she quickly closed the door to hers. She had picked up the late shifts at the hospital, and by the time he woke up in the morning, she was already passed out. When he came home from shifts at the Clinic in the afternoons, she was driving out.  


****

She stopped avoiding him on Friday after…after they had their surprise visitor, but her words were short, clipped, and full of fear. Their conversations were straight to the point.  


****

_“Will he back?”_  


****

_“Did you see him today?”_  


****

_“Is he going to do something?”_  


****

_“Is someone going to get hurt?”_  


****

She gave up when he refused to give her a straight answer. As much as he wanted to reassure her that everything was okay, he didn’t have it in him to lie to her again, especially after she had found out just how much he had been hiding from her.  


****

“Convenient, I know,” Erica clicked her tongue, bringing him back to their conversation. She gave him a humorless smile, “Not that they would have _cared_ if I were gone. Hell, I don’t think they would notice if I just – upped and vanished. Showed up dead in a ditch somewhere or something like that.”  


****

Scott flinched back, eyes wide in shock. Erica kept talking in a casual tone, almost as if it were a chat about the weather.  


****

“I’m basically crashing at Derek’s now. May as well move in.”  


****

“That’s – that’s no way to live, though,” Scott stammered out, turning so that his shoulder was pressed against the wall and he was facing her, “There is no ‘Derek’s’. It’s an abandoned building he’s holed up in. You – You have a family, Erica, an actual house – an actual home. You shouldn’t give that up.”  


****

Erica cocked her head, an annoyed expression crossing over her face, “It might be an abandoned building to you but to me, it’s as good of a home as any. Better, even. At least, when I get there, I have people who talk to me. Who sit around a table and have a conversation with, who cares if I show up for dinner or if something were to happen to me!”  


****

She snorted, as if an amusing thought came across her mind, “At least, Derek acknowledges I exist. My parents?”  


****

Her ruby lips blew an exaggerated raspberry as she prowled closer, stepping on her tiptoes to get right in his face, “Did you know that I barely see them when I’m home? When I do, they don’t say hi, they don’t ask me ‘how’s my day’. They sit in front of their laptops and never once tear their eyes from their screens. Parent-teacher conference? One of them is always leaving midway through the lesson to answer an ‘important phone call’, because that takes priority over their daughter’s education.”  


****

A soft, dangerous laugh – one that could be mistaken as sounding like a laugh of disbelief to someone who didn’t know any better – escaped her mouth as she whispered, “That day you caught me on my way down from the rock wall in Gym? When I got sent to the hospital that night, my parents never came to pick me up. Even though, Vanessa had called them almost as soon as it happened. You know who **did** come through for me though?”  


****

“Derek. Derek and Vanessa were there for me when no one else was. They have done _so much_ for all of us and you’re too scared shitless by your own fucked up experience that you project it onto us. Well, _news flash_ , Scott: Our Alpha didn’t abandon us. He isn’t psychotic, he’s isn’t crazy and he cares about more than just his power. He cares about us, including you.”  


****

Gently lowering herself down so that her shoes were flat on the concrete floor, Erica stepped back to put some distance between them and flipped her blonde curls over her shoulder, her shoulders slouching in a tired sigh.  


****

“You really can’t see how much he respects you, Scott.”  


****

Scott narrowed his eyes at her, slightly alarmed by her speech.  


****

“You mean, because I don’t submit to him,” he grumbled back at her, rubbing his neck.  


****

“No, Scott, I mean he respects you because you’re loyal, yet you’re strong enough and smart enough to take a stand. He respects you because you’re a leader. An equal.”  


****

Erica turned away from him and muttered, “Him and Vanessa talk about you like you’re some kind of saint. I wanted to believe it but if you’re going to keep looking down your nose at all of us, then you’re going to prove them wrong. I don’t want to see that happen.”  


****

Scott’s eyes looked down at her, devastated, and his mouth stuttered out silent words before closing in defeat. He didn’t know what to say, the right words to explain why he did the things he did.  


****

He knew that they were tired of hearing about how he was 'trying to protect them’ and that all he wanted was for them to be safe, something that they would never be again once they accepted this life. He wanted them to have the chance he didn’t, to say no, to turn their backs to this scary, bloody, and dangerous world they had to fight to survive in.  


****

But then again, his old life was normal. It was good. He had a mother who, admittingly, worked late but who always kissed him on the cheek when she came and went and who was always down to eat dinner with him on her breaks. He was a passing student, with few experiences with detention – unless, of course, Stiles and Vanessa had anything to say with it. His old life was mundane, normal, safe. Everything that he wished he could fall back on, now that his life and the lives of his friends and family were at stake.  


****

Isaac, Erica and Boyd…when it came down to it, he could see why they made that choice now. He could see now that their lives weren’t normal, or safe by any sort of standards. Isaac got hurt, Erica suffered, and Boyd was alone. He could see how, by saying yes, their lives got better in one way or another.  


****

But then he would see them. He would see their bodies, hear their screams, watch their life drain from their eyes and he would think, _It’s my fault, it’s my fault, it’s my fault._  


****

He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if they were to get hurt because he failed to convince them that there weren’t other alternatives.  


****

However, when he remembered what Vanessa said about how turning his back on them would do more harm than their choice to become part of Derek’s pack, he thought that maybe she had a point.  


****

When Scott opened his mouth to say something, the number for their meal was called out abruptly from the cashier manning the front inside the restaurant.  


****

Erica flicked her wrist dismissively, telling him over her shoulder, “I’ll meet you in the car,” before walking inside.  


\- 

**_6:00 PM_**  


****

Monday night at the Beacon Hills Memorial was surprisingly slow when Erica and Scott walked through the main doors of the hospital. The two had exchanged a silent look of understanding before going their separate ways, Erica making a head start towards the elevators to head down to the Morgue while Scott headed directly to the receptionist desk where his mother was predictably sitting behind, typing away on her computer.  


****

Melissa McCall looked like she had been put through the ringer, with her curly, dark brown hair slipping out of its messy bun and her dark eyes drooping in exhaustion, made worse by the bags that had appeared under them in purple-red semi-circles. Her fingers clicked at the keyboard in front of her like she wasn’t even paying attention to what keys she was touching, and a tired sigh escaped her every time she leaned back to squint at her computer.  


****

Scott winced, slouching in guilt. He knew that he was partially responsible for her haggard appearance. The stress and fear he had caused in the past few days had eaten at her slowly, even more so than her shifts at the hospital that was normally busy from 12-12 every second day.  


****

His fingers clenched around the handles of the plastic takeout bag in his hand as he approached the desk. His mother hadn’t seen him yet, either too immersed in typing up the logs on her computer or too focused on trying to keep her eyes open.  


****

He took a deep breath before placing the plastic bag on the desk with a small, “Hi, Mom.”  


****

The older woman flinched from behind the desk, her eyes snapping up to meet his in terror. Scott, admittingly, jumped to, not expecting to see that expression come across her face from his voice alone. However, all the tension drained out of her bones once she recognized that it was just him standing there and she sagged.  


****

“ ** _Jesus_** , Scott!” she breathed out, her hand splayed across her chest with her eyes squeezed shut, “You scared the hell out of me! What’re you doing here?!”  


****

“Sorry,” he rubbed at his neck sheepishly, letting go of the takeout bag and stepping back, “Just dropping by to make sure you ate dinner. I know that the food here sucks, so I got you Thai.”  


****

His mom’s eyes softened at that and her lips drooped in a pout. She stood up and opened the bag to rummage through it, taking a deep breath in and humming pleasantly as the meal’s aroma hit her nose. A small smile curled up on her lips, one that Scott unconsciously mimicked as he watched his mother pull out the noodle box inside.  


****

Suddenly, a small frown appeared on her forehead as she looked back up at him.  


****

“Did you get yourself some dinner?” she asked.  


****

“Oh – Oh yeah,” Scott nodded, opening up the bag to pull his own meal out, “I was just going to eat it at home though so – “  


****

“How’re about we eat here?” his mom suggested, nodding to herself as she turned back to log off her computer, “My break’s coming up anyway. We can eat in the cafeteria.”  


****

“Are you sure?” he asked quietly, watching her with wide eyes as she wrote down a note for the person taking over for her.  


****

Melissa took a deep sigh, closing her eyes slightly before turning to face him as she told him softly, “Yes, Scott. I’m sure.”  


****

She gathered up her clipboard and rounded the desk, walking ahead of him towards the elevators Erica took, telling him over her shoulder, “We just need to go down and get my wallet. Say what you will about the hospital food but a little something from the vending machines never goes wrong.”  


****

Scott chuckled as he followed her into the elevator. His mother, as an afterthought, squeezed her eyes shut and winced as she mentioned, “Oh, and I’ll need to tell Kara to take over for me. Her break should be up.”  


****

“Kara?”  


****

“She’s one of the students from Berkley. She’s signed up to do some night shifts for her residency. She’s prepping to take over some of Lisa’s shifts, which I am _extremely_ grateful for because, I’m gonna need all the help I can get with Lisa off now,” his mom scoffed, flipping over some of the pages on her clipboard to mark some things off.  


****

Scott frowned at that, tilting his head at her as he asked, “Huh? What happened to Lisa?”  


****

“Didn’t Vanessa tell you?” Melissa’s brows furrowed over her eyes as she looked up at him, “Lisa has decided to go on maternity leave for a few months so that she can stay at home with her little boy. Her last shift is on Saturday.”  


****

“I didn’t know,” Scott whispered, looking down at his shoes.  


****

His mom smiled sympathetically, “I’m sorry, honey, I thought Vanessa would’ve told you already.”  


****

“Vanessa and I haven’t really been…talking much lately,” Scott’s eyes flickered up to meet hers before he looked away again, “Sarah doesn’t really want Vanessa hanging out with us…especially after Wednesday night.”  


****

“Oh,” was all his mom could say to that. It was all he expected her to say.  


****

The rest of the ride down was silent, and they didn’t say anything as the doors opened to the floor where the staff lockers were as well as their bathrooms. 

****

Scott followed his mother without a word as they walked down the hall but stilled when he walked past the black sign on top of two double doors that read in big, white block leathers ‘Morgue’.  


****

“Hey – “ Scott spoke up, coming to a stop a few meters behind her. His mom turned around, squinting up at him expectantly, “I’ll just wait here for you.”  


****

“Why would you want to wait out here? Even I get a case of the heebie-jeebies just walking through here!”  


****

“Well, you’re going to the… locker rooms, aren’t you?”  


****

His mom pursued her lips before giving him a nod, “Good point. Stay right there.”  


****

“Yes ma’am,” he gave her a smile. She gave him a knowing look in return before rounding the corner.  


****

Scott waited a few moments before walking back to the double doors. He listened out to see if anyone was coming around before peering inside. Erica was over by the filing cabinets and turned to look at him over her shoulder, unsurprised to see his head around the doorway.  


****

“Have you found the files yet?” he whispered to her.  


****

She shook her head before replying in a perfectly normal voice that was a bit too loud for his liking, “Do you know how many people have the same last names? I’m digging through a lot of files right now, babes, so how about we give a girl a few minutes?”  


****

“Can you _please_ keep your voice down?!” Scott whipped his head out from the doors to look around the hall to see if anyone was coming, momentarily forgetting he had enhanced hearing that would have tipped him off if someone was. He ducked his head back in and said, “Hurry up!”  


****

Erica growled back, once again not bothering to whisper, “ _Don’t rush me!_ ”  


****

He shushed her. It was a mistake.  


****

This time when Erica looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes were gold as she snarled, “ **DID YOU JUST _SHUSH_ ME?!**”  


****

Scott let out a groan in frustration, pinching his nose before telling her, “Look, just hurry it up so we can get out of here and over to Deaton’s. Stiles’ is bound to be done by now and – “  


****

Suddenly, he stilled. Footsteps echoed down the halls, a few left turns from where he was standing. They were heavy, probably male. Another doctor?  


****

“Erica, someone’s coming!” he warned her, his voice rising alongside his heartbeat in panic, “Hide while I stall them!”  


****

He heard her shriek something that sounded suspiciously like “Where _the fuck_ am I supposed to hide?!” but the double doors cut her off and he had turned his focus to the approaching footsteps.  


****

A man in a white doctor’s coat rounded the end of the hall. Scott fidgeted with his phone, and from the corner of his eye, he saw the man was turning his body inward, towards the double doors that led to the Morgue.  


****

In his hand, he carried a white plastic mug and Scott could smell the recently brewed coffee inside. The doctor’s attention was drawn to the white clipboard in his other hand, similar to the one Scott’s mom had been carrying.  


****

Scott took a deep breath and made his move, knowing that this would either go really good or really bad. Whirling around, Scott took a few steps and knocked into the doctor hard, sending coffee all over his nice, clean white coat.  


****

“WHAT THE HELL?!” the older man hissed, holding out his arms and his now half-empty coffee cup over his head as brown stains appeared on his clothes. He looked up at a slightly alarmed Scott and exclaimed, “What the hell is wrong with you?!”  


****

“I – I am _so_ sorry – “  


****

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING DOWN HERE?!”  


****

“My mom – Melissa – we’re – “  


****

“ _Jesus Christ_ ,” the doctor cursed, his face going purple as he attempted to reign back his anger, “I don’t know what _Melissa_ was thinking, but you’re not supposed to be down here!”  


****

“I am _really_ sorry, sir – “  


****

“ **Save it** ,” the man snapped, rolling his eyes.  


****

The doctor turned on his heel and with one last glare over his shoulder, he walked back down the hall, this time making the right turn towards the staff locker rooms.  


****

Scott waited, listening to the doctor’s muttered curses fade off, and quickly backtracked to the Morgue. Peering through the double doors, he looked around to see where Erica was and couldn’t find her, although he could hear her heartbeat, so he knew she was somewhere in the room.  


****

“Erica? He’s gone.”  


****

He could hear a muffled sigh before the metal racks against the far wall shuddered from someone kicking inside. Scott’s eyes widened and he quickly slipped into the room, hurrying over to stand in front of the racks.  


****

“Erica!? Kick again!”  


****

She did as he asked and he pulled the tray all the way out to reveal Erica, with her shirt bunched up around her nose and her eyes flashing gold in disgust and anger. The blonde, without any hesitation, rolled out of the tray, landing in a crouch on the floor below. She fell forward and braced her arms on either side of her, spitting out her shirt to gag.  


****

Scott looked from the blonde to the trays before exclaiming in a loud whisper, “I can’t believe you hid in there!”  


****

Erica gave another wet cough before rasping, “That’s because I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, unlike you wimps.”  


****

“What the hell, Erica?! Why did you hide in _there_?!”  


****

“ _Excuse me_ if I had zero faith in your abilities to stall a person,” she smirked, getting to her feet with a slight grimace. She lifted a blonde curl to her nose and sniffed, immediately grimacing in disgust, “I smell like death. Like, cold death. If death had been refrigerated.”  


****

“Well, you **did** choose to hide where dead bodies are kept.”  


****

“There was nowhere else.”  


****

Scott ran a stressed hand through his hair before sighing, “Alright. Did you find the files?”  


****

Erica gave another smirk before turning back to the tray she had lunged off of, picking up the manila folder on it. She waved it at him smugly, “I nicked it out of the cabinets just in time.”  


****

“We’re not taking the entire folder. Just take the pictures of the autopsy report and put it back where you found it.”  


****

“I know. I’m not an amateur.”  


****

“You’ve done this before?!”  


****

“Amateur was a bad word,” she hummed to herself as she slipped her phone out of her pocket, “How about ‘I’m not an idiot’? Is that better?”  


****

Scott didn’t reply. Instead, he fished his car keys out of his pocket and held them out for her to take, “Here. Take these. When you’re done, wait for me in the car and we’ll head over to the clinic.”  


****

He turned around to head out of the Morgue when he heard her ask, “Wait – where are you going?”  


****

“To have dinner with my mom.”  


\- 

#### ISAAC AND STILES

****

  


****

**_6:15 PM_**  


****

“So…I guess Boyd already told him about the plan,” Isaac muttered under his breath to Stiles as Derek glared at them from where he stood at one of the pillars, phone in-ear as he checked in with Boyd.  


****

Apparently, after the Beta came home from school and explained the plan that the group had come up with, he had gone straight back out and made his way to Vanessa’s house to begin his patrol of the O’Connor family. That was, of course, after dealing with Derek’s ire at hearing that said plan was being conducted in the first place.  


****

In other words, Boyd had basically shrugged and said, ‘Take it up with Stiles and Erica.’  


****

Isaac thought, with much amusement when he and Stiles were told this, that it was such a Boyd thing to say. He was just grateful that his fellow packmate had left his name out of it, however small of a blessing it might be.  


****

“ _You think?!_ ” Stiles drawled back sarcastically, shaking his head at the other boy before asking, “Are you telling me that the guy bought all this stuff for your cushy lair but can’t be bothered to take you guys on driving lessons?”  


****

Isaac narrowed his eyes at Stiles before admitting, “Technically, _Vanessa_ was the one who goaded him into buying all this stuff. And it’s not a lair, it’s a den.”  


****

“You guys really go around calling it ‘the Den’? You’re not actual **wolves** , you know that right?!”  


****

“Erica and Nessa were the ones who started calling it that. It caught on.”  


****

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Stiles sighed, leaning back in his seat as he turned back to stare at the Alpha across the room from them, “So, how long is the almighty Alpha going to make us wait here? Some of us have places to be, people to see, things to do. You hear that, Derek?!”  


****

“It’s hard not to when your voice is so loud and irritating!” Derek snarled over his shoulder, before muttering a few more instructions in a low, quiet voice before ending the call.  


****

Shoving his phone into his back pocket, Derek spun around and stormed up to where Isaac and Stiles were sitting in the makeshift kitchen, towering over them with his arms crossed over his chest.  


****

“What _the hell_ were you thinking?!” he snapped at them, shifting his glower between the two boys. Isaac sank down in his seat with a small scowl on his face while Stiles gave the Alpha a lazy stare as he tried to situate himself into a faux casual position, one that did not sell.  


****

“I was – and this is me, speaking from a personal standpoint – thinking maybe, like, pizza or something? We didn’t really eat on our way – “  


****

Derek growled, cutting Stiles’ witty comeback off midway.  


****

“Whose idea was it?!”  


****

Stiles squinted at him like Derek wasn’t the full quid and slowly asked, “Um, do you not know what a personal standpoint is – “  


****

“ **STILES** ,” Derek’s eyes flashed red at him in warning.  


****

“Hey – **_hey_**!” the boy stammered out as he clambered back as far as he could from the grumpy Alpha, holding one finger up in warning, “Do **not** get wolfy with me! Just because we went out and did something, unlike you, who has apparently been sitting pretty in your dank, dark lair for the entire weekend!”  


****

The glowing red in the Alpha’s eyes receded until they were completely blue again, but he did not lose his glower as he shifted his attention to Isaac.  


****

“ **WHOSE?!** ”  


****

Derek’s voice boomed throughout the Den, sounding as if it were morphed between man and beast. Stiles blanched and flinched in his seat at the sound, while Isaac’s face crumpled like he was in pain and his mouth opened as if by force. However, no words left his lips.  


****

A small smirk appeared on Derek’s face and he stepped back with a nod of understanding. As if cut off from whatever force had attempted to make him speak, Isaac sagged in his seat, gasping out as he glared up at his Alpha.  


****

“So, it was Vanessa’s idea.”  


****

Stiles gaped, “How – wha – “  


****

Neither Derek nor Isaac paid him any mind, focused more on their little showdown across from him. Isaac’s face was red with anger as he faced his Alpha, while Derek’s was shadowed with smugness.  


****

“You’ll need to work on that,” the young man advised his Beta, “It tried to protect her but it was what betrayed her. You’ll find a way around it eventually.”  


****

Stiles made a face, “What tried to protect who? What’re you talking about?!”  


****

The other two ignored him.  


****

“It was a good idea, Derek,” Isaac reasoned, pulling himself up from the chair.  


****

“What part of it was a good idea?”  


****

“The part where we could protect her without breaking Sarah’s promise,” the Beta in an uncharacteristically loud and passionate voice. He pointed to himself as he said, “Where _I_ could protect her. Derek, you had to know what staying away from her did to me!”  


****

Derek folded his arms over his chest, “I told you that it was going to be hard.”  


****

“No, no, you said it was going to be **_impossible_** ,” Isaac reminded him, stepping closer than he normally would dare to look the man in the eye, “This plan is the only way I’m going to be able to keep that promise.”  


****

The two stared each other down, their eyes glowing red and gold the longer it went on. Stiles whipped his head between the two from where he stood by the table, squinting his eyes at them like he was trying to put together a puzzle, but was too scared of the puzzle taking a bite out of him if he stepped to close. 

****

“Ok, I get that Isaac is a clingy bitch but this is really just too much!"  


****

Derek didn’t look away from his Beta, “Are you going to tell him?”  


****

“Tell me what?!” Stiles groaned in frustration.  


****

Isaac ignored him, “Why the hell would I tell _him_?”  


****

“Because ‘he’ is severely confused?!” Stiles shrieked, flailing his arms in the air with the effort it took not to use them to slap the ever-loving shit out of Isaac’s face.  


****

“He’s her best friend,” Derek shrugged, stepping back with a raised eyebrow, “You might wanna get his blessing first.”  


****

“BLESSING?!” Stiles exclaimed, gaping at the two of them – but mostly at Isaac.  


****

Isaac saw the way the boy’s eyes grew big and gave him a dry look, “It’s not like that – “  


****

“ _Actually_ ,” Derek drawled, leaning against the kitchen counter, “It’s _exactly_ like that. In fact, it’s way **more** than that.”  


****

“ _Oh god_ ,” Stiles braced a hand on the table, turning green in the face as he gagged, “Please tell me…you did NOT _impregnate_ my friend – “  


****

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Isaac shouted, slapping a hand over his face, “NO – WHAT DO – JUST NO!”  


****

Derek stared at them both like he was seriously contemplating calling up the hunters so they can put him out of his misery, sighing heavily as he turned to Stiles to say, “You’re an idiot.”  


****

“HOW AM **I** THE IDIOT?!”  


****

“SHE’S MY MATE!” Isaac yelled, throwing his hands out angrily.  


****

Stiles’ face froze, his muscles etched in incredulity for a long moment as he stared at Isaac confused.  


****

“I'm sorry - she’s you’re WHAT now?!”  


****

“Mate,” Derek said slowly, like he was speaking to a toddler, “It is a rare occurrence where a wolf or other supernatural creature finds a person who has the ability to make them stronger, gives them control, against both the orders of Alphas and on Full Moons.”  


****

“Hold up!” Stiles cried out, holding up his hand at the man, “I thought that was called an Anchor. You’re confusing me with all these terms.”  


****

Derek rolled his eyes and Isaac gave up, walking away. Derek glared at his Betas back for leaving him to explain things and turned it on the boy watching him expectantly from the table.  


****

“An Anchor is something that can help us through a Full Moon, or whenever we feel the urge to shift. A Mate gives us complete control, makes us stronger, makes us fight harder. They’re also people that we would kill for, kill to protect. They’re ours and we’re theirs.”  


****

“So, what you’re saying,” Stiles cleared his throat, as he pointed to the second level where Isaac retreated to, “Is that Vanessa is Isaac’s Mate? Like, ‘wolves mate for lives’ kind of thing.”  


****

“Exactly. Where did you get that from?”  


****

“Animal Kingdom,” Stiles whispered, still staring aghast at the ceiling, “Oh, shit. Does Ness know?”  


****

“ **NO, AND YOU’RE NOT GOING TO FUCKING TELL HER!** ”  


****

Derek sighed at the shouting from above and glared at Stiles, “I don’t think now would be the best time for you to run your mouth, Stiles.”  


****

Stiles opened his mouth to do just that when his phone rang, causing him to jump at the sudden, shrill sound that erupted through the Den. Casting a nervous glance at Derek, Stiles’ fished around in his pockets, almost dropping the phone when he pulled it out and felt the air leave his lungs in a long, whooshing sound when he saw the name on the Caller ID.  


****

“Scott,” he gasped out, whipping his head up to look Derek in the eye, “Nessa – “  


****

“ **Don’t you dare** ,” Derek glowered at him, taking a threatening step forward. This prompted Stiles to flip the phone open and jam it against his ear, holding up a tremoring hand when Derek lunged at him, stopping short of tackling the boy when he greeted in a shaky, cheery voice, “Scotty, my man, my dude, my bro. How’s it going?”  


****

_“We’re on our way to the clinic,”_ Scott’s voice spoke up from the phone, _“Why do you sound weird?”_  


****

“Ah, no reason,” Stiles shrugged nonchalantly, holding up a finger when Derek let out a growl, “Hey, you’re not going to _believe_ what I found out – “  


****

Suddenly, Stiles’ phone was snatched away from him as Isaac appeared from behind him. Derek let out a tired sigh as he watched his Beta lift the phone up to his own ear and answered, “Scott? Did you get the report?”  


****

This time, they could hear Erica’s voice chime in smugly from somewhere in the background of Scott’s end, _“Actually, I was the one who got the report. All forty-three pages, baby!”_  


****

_“Does it really matter?”_ they heard Scott mutter to her, before he said to them, _“Meet us at Deaton’s in ten.”_  


****

“We’ll be there,” Isaac confirmed stiffly before closing the phone, hanging up.  


****

He looked at the phone for a moment before slowly turning his head to glare at Stiles, gold leaking into the deep-set blue of his irises. Stiles shuffled back, gulping audibly as Isaac prowled forward.  


****

“Come on, man! I wasn’t _actually_ going to tell him! OH MY GOD – “ Stiles shrunk in on himself as Isaac closed in on him, holding his hands above his head like the Beta was going to eat him whole. When he didn’t feel sharp fangs ripping him open, he cracked one eye open to find Isaac rolling his eyes at him, holding Stiles’ phone out for him to take.  


****

Stiles straightened up, rolling his shoulders before snatching the phone out of his hands.  


****

“Alright, let’s head out,” Isaac turned away from him to head towards the stairwell. Derek stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.  


****

“Not you. You’re not going.”  


****

“What – why?”  


****

“You need to take over for Boyd’s patrol.”  


****

“Why can’t Erica?”  


****

“Because she’s on the other side of town with Scott.”  


****

“Exactly. She’s closer.”  


****

“Are you really going to argue with me on this?” Derek cocked his head, frowning.  


****

Isaac opened his mouth to protest but shut it after a moment. He gritted his teeth and shook his head. Derek’s brows softened imperceptibly before he tightened his grip on Isaac’s shoulder.  


****

“Can you control yourself?”  


****

“I’m not a rabid animal, Derek. I have restraint,” Isaac growled, contradicting his words.  


****

Derek shook his head at him but let go, jerking his head at Stiles to follow him as he turned to walk up the stairwell. Stiles stammered out a series of noises, looking pleadingly at Isaac and then back to where the Alpha was waiting at the stop of the stairwell, tapping his foot impatiently.  


****

“If he’s not going to argue, can I?!”  


****

-  


****

#### THE CLINIC

****

  


****

**_7:00 PM_**  


****

When Stiles and Derek pulled up to the front of the clinic, they found Erica and Scott already there, leaning against the hood of Melissa McCall’s car with impatient, eager looks on their faces.  


****

They perked up when they saw Stiles’ jeep and Erica bounded over to meet them halfway, grinning slyly as she gave Stiles a onceover, "Oh, good, I thought that Isaac killed you or something."  


****

She peered over their shoulders, trying to find the boy in question but couldn’t see him in the backseat. Turning to her Alpha, she frowned slightly as she asked, "Where is he, anyway?"  


****

"He's taking over for Boyd,” Derek replied dismissively, his eyes narrowed at where Scott stood by the door. He had looked away as soon as they pulled up and Derek had a good idea on why.  


****

Erica didn’t notice Derek’s lack of attention and instead clapped her hands in amusement at the idea of Isaac having to suffer sitting on the outskirts of his ‘ex’ girlfriend’s property for four hours, watching her through her windows while she went through her nightly routine.  


****

_Ah, suffering. Gotta love it._  


****

Stiles eyed her warily, not liking the little smirk on her face one bit and hurried over to his best friend, slinging an arm around his shoulders, and pleading with him under his breath to never leave him with Isaac Lahey ever again. **EVER.**  


****

Erica and Derek rolled their eyes as they followed the two boys through the front doors of the clinic.  


****

The bell above the door tolled to let the veterinarian know that they were there. After a few moments, Deaton strolled in from the backroom, wiping his hands on a towel as he looked over them all with a frown before stopping on his protegee.  


****

"Scott, what's going on?”  


****

“We need your help.”  


****

Deaton’s brows furrowed deeper. The man nodded before opening the Mountain Ash door, holding it for them to enter. When all of them had walked through to the back room, he stood across the metal table from them.  


****

Derek had taken a position against the wall, his arms crossed as he stared the vet down. Deaton ignored him to raise his brows at the other three, who lined up in front of him. Erica had fished her phone out and placed it from of him. Stiles did the same with his phone.  


****

Scott gestured to the phones, zooming in so that the vet could see the images clearly, "We need you to look at these and tell us how this person died.”  


****

Deaton blinked at the odd request, picking up Erica’s phone that had the autopsy report very hesitantly to read over. His frown deepened – if that was at all possible – and he switched to pick up Stiles’ phone before shaking his head, looking up at the three teenagers in confusion as he said, "These are Victoria Argent's. How did you get these?"  


****

“You know what they say,” Erica shrugged, leaning against the metal table in front of her as she made sarcastic ‘pom pom’ motions with her hands as if she were a cheerleader, "Teamwork makes the dreamwork, Doc."  


****

Stiles let out a groan and slapped a hand onto his forehead, muttering to himself, " _Oh my god_ , it's like she's here with us."  


****

Erica grinned at him, and from the corner of the room, a long-suffering sigh escaped from Derek’s lips as he wished to be anywhere but there at that moment.  


****

Deaton ignored their antics, looking Scott in the eye as he told him seriously, "Scott, you can't involve yourself in hunters. They will kill you."  


****

Derek scoffed, pushing forward a bit to point out, "They'll kill him either way.”  


****

"It's a favor for Ness,” Scott rolled his eyes at Derek, turning to look at Deaton with a silent plead on his face, "She thinks that Mrs. Argent's death was foul play."  


****

Deaton frowned again, cocking his head to the side as he stated, "I assumed it was the kanima."  


****

"So did we,” Erica decided to speak up, turning away from where she had been messing around with Stiles to tell the vet, "Until Ness realized something weird about how Allison has been acting."  


****

"Allison?"  


****

This time, Deaton’s brows hit his hairline as he turned to look at Scott. He could tell that the man was getting more confused by the direction this visit was going and he sighed.  


****

"Hear her out."  


****

A silent question went between the two before the vet nodded once, gesturing for them to explain, "Go ahead."  


****

Stiles nodded and hurriedly rushed out, "Okay, so that night, at the police station, the hunters came and did what they usually did, right? Shot a couple of glass windows, set off a couple of smoke bombs. The works. Except, they weren't there to kill Jackson or Matt. They were after Derek. Allison was after Derek."  


****

"Why?"  


****

"Yeah, I'm still confused as to why that's a big deal,” Scott scratched the back of his neck, turning to look at Stiles and Erica with a small frown of his own, “Aren't they always after Derek?"  


****

Derek scoffed again, obviously not pleased about the dismissive nature of the statement. Like, the hunters going after him every fucking weekend was nothing to be concerned about.  


****

Deaton shook his head, "No, Scott. The hunters usually run by a code. 'We Hunt What Hunts Us'."  


****

"Except they said that the code doesn't apply anymore, right?” Scott argued, turning to look at Derek from over his shoulder. He jutted out his chin at the Alpha and reminded him, “You were there! Gerard told the omega that the code is null because of what happened to Kate."  


****

"A code like that is hard to break away from,” Deaton spoke up when Derek only glared at Scott, sensing there was a certain tension in the room, the cause, of which, he knew nothing about, “I can't imagine Chris Argent letting it go so quickly."  


****

The vet turned to the blonde girl at the far end of the table and softened his frown as he asked her, "Erica, what does Vanessa think?"  


****

Erica took a deep breath before explaining in a quiet voice, "She thinks that Allison, and the rest of the hunters, are under the impression that Derek killed Victoria. And being his pack, that we might have been involved."  


****

Derek stiffened from where he was leaning against the wall. Scott clenched his jaw and looked away.  


****

Deaton looked at them all with a blank expression before slowly asking, "Well, did you?"  


****

Scott gaped at his boss, shocked by the question, "Of course they didn't!"  


****

" _Scott_ – “  


****

"The last time I saw Victoria Argent alive was at the Rave in the warehouse district,” Derek spoke up, his arms falling to his side as he joined his Beta from where she stood at the table. He glanced down at her once before turning to Deaton and explaining in a cold, matter-of-fact tone, “She tried to kill me and Scott with wolfsbane she put in an incense dispenser."  


****

Stiles let out a low whistle before commenting, "Can't say that the woman wasn't creative."  


****

Derek, Erica, and Scott all gave the boy unimpressed looks. Stiles threw his hands up in quiet surrender, miming zipping his lips and throwing away the key.  


****

Deaton sighed and turned back to Derek and Scott to ask, "How did you escape?"  


****

"Ness,” Scott replied with a reluctant twitch of his lips, “She came in and used her ketamine shot on her. We left Victoria unconscious but _alive_ back in the warehouse and we didn't see her after that."  


****

Deaton nodded before flicking through the images on Erica’s phone, reading out loud, "The time of death on her autopsy report says that she died around 3 am, the morning after."  


****

Scott nodded, "We left the Rave at 11 pm. We came straight to the clinic. Boyd and Erica went back to the Den which is in the opposite direction as the Reserve, where Victoria's body was found. Isaac and Derek left soon after."  


****

"And you went straight back to the Den?" Deaton asked Derek.  


****

Scott protested, "I was with them - "  


****

Erica pulled a face at the man and leaned forward, spitting out in outrage at the insinuation, "We were _injured_. Boyd had been shot up full of bullets. Derek had been stabbed in the literal back. We were all walking back because Isaac and I don't know how to drive. I doubt that all of us could have had the strength, let alone the energy, to drag Victoria Argent's unconscious body all the way across town, dump her in the Preserve - "  


****

"Tie her to a tree and feed her to dogs?"  


****

" _Exactly_ \- wait what the fuck?"  


****

"Marks on the wrists suggest that she was tied up. They're deep so she must have struggled." Deaton read out the police report from Stiles' phone, nodding along as understanding began to sink in. He let out a soft sigh before telling them quietly, "I can see why they would think it was an animal attack. The bites found on her body correlate to those found on victims of wild dog attacks."  


****

"How can you tell?" Derek leaned forward, curious.  


****

"The fact that the predominant wounds are bite marks. Werewolves tend to avoid attacking with their fangs, not wanting to risk that their victim or prey might be turned. They generally attack with their claws, slashing at their victim’s ankles before ripping them open at their most soft and vulnerable parts like their stomach or their - "  


****

"Throat,” Scott finished, swallowing hard, "Like Kate."  


****

Deaton nodded. "Exactly.”  


****

Stiles keeled over suddenly, holding his hand over his mouth as he gagged around the words, "I think I'm going to be sick."  


****

"The sink is in the corner –“  


****

"He'll be fine, Doc,” Erica interrupted him, clapping Stiles’ back hard enough to knock the air out of him. Stiles gasped out at the stinging pain exploding over his upper back. He looked back at the blonde and wheezed out with tears in his eyes, “Why?!”  


****

“Because you’re being a drama queen and we’re just getting to the good part.”  


****

“You’re sick,” he cringed at her, turning green once more as he put his head down under the table.  


****

Erica shrugged at him like he wasn’t wrong, turning back to the vet.  


****

"So, it was wild dogs?"  


****

"Werewolves didn't kill Victoria Argent,” Deaton nodded, flipping the phones upside down so that they faced Scott and Erica. He pointed out the lines he wanted them to look at on each phone and explained, “It was noted that upon examination that chunks of her skin were torn off and missing. The police reports corroborate that and suspect that it was ingested, normal for an animal attack caused by hunger."  


****

Another groan came out from under the table. Erica and Derek rolled their eyes before the former pulled Stiles up, cuffing in the back of the head with a small, “Grow up. You’ve seen a dead body before, haven’t you?”  


****

Scott ignored the two, frowning down at the phones before looking back up at his boss as he double-checked, "And it wasn't the kanima?"  


****

"There would be no need to tie her up if the kanima had paralyzed her beforehand. Besides, there were no other paralytic toxins found in her system besides the ketamine she was doused with, which would have shown up on the toxicology report except..."  


****

The vet trailed off. Stiles suddenly perked up, sensing a lead in the mystery that was Victoria Argent’s death.  


****

"Except what?"  


****

"Except that it isn't the toxicology report. There isn't any mention of ketamine or similar drug results. It comes up clean."  


****

"What?! How?"  


****

"Well, the hunters have people in the Sheriff's department. It makes sense that they would have people in other major positions in town, including the hospital,” Derek nodded, his face grave. Scott turned pale at the thought that his mother could be working alongside one of Gerard’s lackeys, side-by-side, within striking distance…  


****

"You're saying they covered up Victoria's death?" Stiles cast Derek a skeptical look, raising a brow at him, "Why the hell would they do it?"  


****

"Maybe they wanted to deal with it on their own? Wouldn't we do the same?" Scott asked, casting a look at Derek. The Alpha, in turn, raised a brow at him, wondering silently about the defensive tone in the Beta’s voice.  


****

Scott looked away, but not before catching Erica’s eyes, glittering knowingly from the far side of the table. His stomach turned and he fought the anxiety rising up in his chest as the Alpha and his Beta stared at him in silence.  


****

"Or maybe, there is another party responsible here, besides the pack and the kanima.,” Deaton suggested, drawing the blonde girl’s attention away from Scott with his question, "I suspect that is where Vanessa is going with this?"  


****

"Going with what?" Scott asked, still confused as to why Vanessa was dredging up Victoria’s death in the first place.  


****

"Scott. It is unlikely that in a normal situation someone like Victoria Argent would be so easily hindered by a bit of rope and some rabid dogs. However, because she was injected with ketamine, she was left vulnerable to anyone who would come along and find her unconscious…"  


****

"But...that room she had me in...it was in a secluded part of the warehouse - that's why she picked it,” Scott argued, shaking his head at them, “Nobody would be able to hear me, at least no human would. How would someone know to look for her there?"  


****

“That’s a good question,” Deaton nodded, turning to Derek, "Did anyone besides the pack and Vanessa know she was there?"  


****

"She had two guys with her,” Derek explained, watching as Scott shuffled nervously from the corner of his eye, “I've seen them around."  


****

"Where?"  


****

"With Argent."  


****

Erica let out a sudden gasp, her hand hovering over her mouth as she looked at them all with wide, brown eyes, "Vanessa was right. I can't believe she was right about this."  


****

"Right about what?” Scott exclaimed, spinning around on Stiles and Erica in frustration as he told them, “You still haven't explained to me why Vanessa wanted you guys to do this!"  


****

"Scott, look at the facts,” Erica gestured with an open palm to the two phones on the table, “Victoria, a hunter, was killed by dogs. There was no toxin. She was tied up beforehand. All of us, including you, were at the Den at the time of her death. Only two people outside of the pack knew she was even at the warehouse that night. Those two people are seen around one person.”  


****

Erica rounded the table to where Scott stood, his arms braced out on the metal surface with his head bowed. She leaned down, trying to catch his eyes as she whispered to him, “Who is that person, Scott?!"  


****

He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. Erica growled accusingly at him.  


****

"You know what I'm trying to say. You just don't want to admit it!”  


****

The table creaked as his fingers clenched around the edge. Stiles flinched from beside his best friend. Erica didn’t bat an eye.  


****

"Scott. Say it,” she goaded in his ear, a snarl curling up on her lips as she heard his heart beat faster in anxiousness.  


****

" **No** ,” he growled back, and everyone heard the scrap of his claws as he withdrew from the table, preparing to walk out of the room.  


****

"Scott,” Erica’s voice resounded loudly throughout the room. He stopped in his tracks, "Gerard killed Victoria."  


****

You could hear a pin-drop in the silence that descended over the room. Scott’s shoulders slumped in defeat at the declaration.  


****

He knew that Gerard was a monster but Allison –  


****

"And he's convinced Allison that is was us."  


****

Her grandfather killed her mother -  


****

"He framed us for his daughter-in-law's death."  


****

How was he going to tell her?  


****

"Shit. Nessa was right,” Stiles broke through the tension as he whispered in dread, "I'm never going to hear the end of this."  


****

-  


****

On the other side of town, in the upstairs bedroom of a two-story house, Vanessa O’Connor stood in flannel shorts that were hidden under a long t-shirt that was too big for her small frame. Her hair was wet from the shower and was twisted up in a towel and piled atop of her head as she searched the room for her phone.  


****

Ghosting in and out of view of her bedroom window, she cursed under her breath as she picked up the pile of freshly printed pages atop of her desk, setting them down again when the phone didn’t turn up at the bottom. Biting her lip in thought, she stood with her hands on her hips before she heard it again.  


****

_Buzz. Buzz._  


****

Her eyes flared wide and a smile curled up on her face as she got to her knees on her carpeted floor and reached under her bed, her fingers brushing against a cold, metal object that was vibrating from at least a dozen messages.  


****

Sliding it out from under her bed, she reached up to keep the towel from falling down and opened up the messages.  


****

**STILES:** _Sending you Deaton’s notes. You were right. Don’t say I told you so. Scott isn’t in the mood._  


****

Vanessa’s stomach dropped at the news and she felt herself falling backwards. She landed on the bed, her hand over her mouth. Her eyes darted over to where her printer started again, presumably the notes that Stiles was sending through the fax machine.  


****

Any other time and she would have made fun of him for faxing her things like they were in the Office. Not this time.  


****

Scott wasn’t the only one in the mood. Her mind went back to the girl she used to call friend, that she secretly still considered to be someone like a sister to her. Allison had just lost her mom and it turned her into someone who was willing to hunt down her friends in the name of vengeance.  


****

What kind of person would she become if she found out the man who was responsible for her mother’s death was also the man who put that bow in her hands?  


****

How was she supposed to tell Allison that her grandfather killed her mother?  


****

“Fuck,” Vanessa whispered to herself, no longer feeling alive with the feeling of digging her nails into a mystery and ripping out its secrets, bloody hearts, and all. She knew that it was possible. Hell, she knew that all this, the autopsy, the police reports, Deaton’s notes – it would all point to him.  


****

That goddamn monster. Gerard.  


****

She had to tell her. Allison had to know. But when? And how?  


****

Vanessa looked away from the printer, not bothering to walk over and read the new page that would inevitably be added to the manila folder that sat open on her desk. Instead, she untangled the towel from her hair with a quiet sigh, rolling a dark curl between her fingers to see if it was dry enough for her to sleep in.  


****

Tossing the towel on the floor, she groaned. Who was she kidding? Who fucking cares?  


****

Who cared about wet hair when one of her best friends was living in the same house as her mother’s killer?  


****

Angry tears welled up in her eyes and she struck them away before they could shed. Rolling over in her bed, Vanessa clicked on the radio and sat back, letting the calm acoustics and the quiet melody wash over her. She leaned over and switched off her lamp, dousing her room into darkness.  


****

Settling onto her back, Vanessa stared up at the ceiling with her hands clasped over her chest. She didn’t bother to get under her blankets or sheets. She knew it wouldn’t keep her warm.  


****

Vanessa had been cold for the entire weekend and nothing, not hot chocolate, not hugs from little Nathaniel, not blankets – nothing, would make her warm.  


****

She knew why. She fucking knew why.  


****

_"Darling, you're with me, always around me, only love, my only love,"_  


_"Darling, I feel you under my body, only love, my only love."_

Standing in shadows of the treeline that surrounded the O’Connor house, Boyd turned away from the now-dark bedroom and turned to glance at the newcomer over his shoulder, his shoulders slumping in a sigh.  


****

“Derek told me you were on your way,” Boyd greeted him softly, trying to keep his voice down as he had noticed the living room window was still open, the sounds of the television drowning out into the night beyond.  


****

Isaac didn’t look at him as he came to stand beside him. Instead, his eyes were locked on the upstairs bedroom. Its window was open as well and soft music had started playing just a few seconds beforehand.  


****

“Anything?” he asked quietly.  


****

Boyd shook his head, “Nothing yet.”  


****

Isaac nodded, clasping Boyd’s shoulder with a heavy hand, “You can head on back now. I’ll take it from here.”  


****

Boyd raised a brow, looking back at the window then back at him, “You sure?”  


****

The other boy gave him a stiff nod. Boyd’s eyes softened in understanding and he clapped his packmate on the back before heading off into a jog down the street. Isaac watched him go, losing some of his stoicism as he turned back to the bedroom window, where inside, Vanessa sang softly under her breath.  


****

“ _Give me shelter or show me heart. Come on, love, come on, love,_ ” there was a hitch in her breath as she whispered, the words just barely getting out, “ _Watch me fall apart, watch me fall apart..._ ”  


****

Isaac let out a shuddering sigh before settling behind the tree, trusting that if anything or anyone tried to step onto the property he would sense it without having to watch the house. Besides, as the acoustics continued and her breath caught over and over again, he didn’t think he would be able to handle staring at that open window all night.  


****

Vanessa felt her chest shake as sobs fought to break out. She curled into herself, clutching the pillow that had long since stopped being hers, and sang the next line, “ _And I'll be yours to keep, a wind in the shadows, whale song in the deep._ ”  


****

She turned onto her back and cried out, clamping a hand over her mouth shortly afterwards.  


****

The werewolf outside jumped, his fingers digging into the leather that covered his arms.  


****

_"Darling, you're with me, always around me, only love, my only love."_  


_"Darling, I feel you under my body, only love, my only love."_  


_"Give me shelter, or show me heart, come on, love, come on, love."_  


_"Watch me fall apart, watch me fall apart."_  


****

Eventually, as the song continued and the night went on, Vanessa stopped trying to quiet her cries and sobbed freely, gasping out as she lost breath from time to time. Her fingers were tangled in the pillow she was wrapped around and her face was wet when she fell asleep.  


****

Outside, under the tree with his back to the hard bark, Isaac’s shoulders shook as he shoved his head into his knees, his fingers tearing at the dark blonde curls on his head as he cried silently. He didn’t get the freedom of crying out, not like he wanted to.  


****

Only one of them was lucky to fall asleep that night as the words, “ _Watch me fall apart, watch me fall apart,_ ” trailed off on tired lips.

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs in this chapter:  
> \- "Only Love" by Ben Howard  
> A few questions:  
> 1\. What was you're favorite part of the chapter?  
> 2\. What did you find interesting about the chapter?  
> 3\. What are you looking forward to most in next chapter?  
> 4\. Who's team up did you enjoy the most? Erica and Scott or Isaac and Stiles?  
> 5\. What was your favourite one-liner between the two pairs?  
> 6\. Did you like hearing from Erica's POV and if so, what did you most enjoy about it?  
> 7\. Who enjoyed the little Vanessa/Lydia interaction? You guys think Lydia's up to the task to be looking out for Jackson?  
> 8\. What did you think about the angst at the end there?  
> 9\. What did you guys think about the interview scene and the mini Sarah-Isaac interaction there?  
> 10\. On a scale of one to ten, how eager are you guys to see a more confrontational interaction between Isaac and Vanessa?  
> 11\. If Isaac and Vanessa were to make up, how do you guys see it happening?


End file.
